A former Grove City man will live out his dream of being an Olympic trainer this August in Atlanta, Ga. Darin Powell, a 1985 graduate of Grove City High now living in Texarkana, Texas, is that man.
``I knew very early that education was going to be the key to my going to the Olympics, so I concentrated on my education,'' Powell said.
Powell will be an athletic trainer from now through July 27. His main duties will involve first aid and emergency care for the fans in attendance at the Georgia World Congress Center. Competitions scheduled there include wrestling, weightlifting, judo, handball and table tennis. He mostly will be working with wrestling and judo participants. As he explained, he will be attending a majority of the first few practices, and then will be at the Center building from about July 22 on.
While in high school, Powell participated in cross country and track, and continued to compete at Slippery Rock University. He chose to attend SRU after his sister, Tracy, brought home a school paper which had a feature on athletic training. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in allied health with an emphasis on athletic training.
From there he earned a master's in physical education with emphasis in sport biomechanics from Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. While at Ball State, he was the head trainer for the baseball team under a graduate assistantship.
Powell's first job was at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Medicine Clinic in Johnstown, where he worked to help rehabilitate athletes. For three years he also worked at Forest Hills High School and with the Johnstown Chiefs hockey team.
``With those three jobs in Johnstown I was very involved,'' Powell said. ``But now I have extra time, so I run in everything from 5K's up to marathons.''
Powell moved to Texarkana two years ago and began working as an athletic trainer at the St. Michael's Health and Fitness Center. He also is a volunteer for all the athletes at New Boston High School, in addition to working part-time at Liberty-Eylau and Arkansas High.
``This experience will be very beneficial to me,'' Powell said. He added that of the 10 days he will be working the Olympics, he will have three of those days free watch some events.
Darin is a son of Phil and Sue Powell, Grove City.
published Thursday, July 18,1996
