Berea College Invites Public to Hear CrossFit Coach Steph Hammerman


Phelps Stokes Chapel – 3pm, Thursday, October 5, 2017

Steph HammermanBerea College welcomes the public and campus community to hear Steph Hammerman, the first-ever female CrossFit coach with Cerebral Palsy, speak at this week’s convocation. Born three months premature, Hammerman has been defying the odds of what it looks like to live with cerebral palsy ever since.

Her mission is to inspire others and compel them to act. Drawing on her own experience of having to adapt everyday tasks and challenges commonly taken for granted by others, Hammerman will discuss the importance of living life to the fullest despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As she shares her story, she invites the audience to discover, fulfill, and—as needed—adapt to a life of purpose.

Hammerman has been recognized by CNN, Wheel Wod (an adaptive fitness organization), Julie Foucher, (a family medicine resident at Cleveland Clinic and four-time CrossFit Games athlete), and others for her strength and perseverance. She initially began her fitness journey as a competitive hand cyclist, which she participated in for 1.5 years. Her mission was to use CrossFit to become a stronger cyclist but she did not know that would eventually lead to her teaching others. In 2013, she acquired her unique position as the world’s first female CrossFit coach with cerebral palsy. Today, Hammerman tours the country sharing her story as one of struggle and hope.

This event is part of the Woods Lecture series. It is co-sponsored by the Berea College Health and Human Performance Department.

Convocation events, which are provided for both the campus community and the general public, are a significant part of students’ educational experience at Berea College. See legacy.berea.edu/convocations for the schedule of all convocations this academic year. All convocations are free and open to the public.

Categories: News, People, Programs and Initiatives
Tags: Convocation, Event, Health, Human Performance, Steph Hammerman

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources—primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia—but welcomes students from 41 states and 76 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly to earn money for books, housing and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.