UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Nittany Lion RJ Shirey will represent Penn State at the Hartford Nationals in early July. The Penn State Ability Athletics star will compete in the javelin and shot put at the 2023 national championship event on July 8-14 in Hoover and Birmingham, Ala.
Shirey, a Nittany Lion ability athlete since 2019, is a State College native who lost his right leg after a tragic hunting accident at age 15. A mainstay in Penn State's Ability Athletics program, he recently qualified for the event, the longest standing national sport championship and what many consider the pinnacle of competition for adaptive sports athletes in the United States. It features the nation's top athletes who have a physical, visual and/or intellectual disability.
This will be the 66th year of the competition and will feature hundreds of athletes and coaches competing as well as clinics and educational opportunities. The Hartford Nationals features various competitions including archery, para powerlifting, paratriathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field and wheelchair tennis. Over 300 athletes and 100 coaches from 36 states were at the 2022 event.
The event is conducted by Move United, an affiliate of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Move United provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to become physically and emotionally stronger through participation in 70 adaptive sports. Move United was established in 1956. The Hartford serves as the presenting sponsor of the event.
For more information on The Hartford Nationals: https://TheHartfordNationals.org .
For more information on Move United: www.moveunitedsport.org .
For more information on The Hartford: https://www.thehartford.com .
Ability Athletics is Penn State's program for adaptive intercollegiate and intramural sports. For more information on Ability Athletics at Penn State, please contact Brenna O'Connor (bao10@psu.edu).
