*MEDIA ADVISORY* Paralympic Trials coming to Charlotte; athletes to host media day May 17th

*MEDIA ADVISORY* Paralympic Trials coming to Charlotte; athletes to host  media day May 17th

Media invited to meet athletes who will compete in Charlotte-based Trials; B-roll opportunity at the Irwin Belk Complex at Johnson C. Smith University FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12, 2016 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, is hosting a press conference at the Charlotte Convention Center on Tuesday, May 17 to preview the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials – Swimming and Track & Field. The Trials will take place in Charlotte, June 30-July 2. The U.S. Paralympics Cycling Time Trial will also take place in Charlotte the same weekend. The Trials is the sole opportunity for athletes to compete and qualify to make the U.S. team for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The press event will feature Rio Paralympic hopefuls Tucker Dupree (Raleigh, North Carolina), swimming; Jill Moore (Charlotte, North Carolina), track & field; and Paul Peterson III (Charlotte, North Carolina), track & field, all of whom will compete at the Trials. All athletes will be available to speak with the media immediately following the press conference. There will also be a b-roll opportunity from 1-2 p.m. at the Irwin Belk Complex at Johnson C. Smith University with sprinter Paul Peterson III, who will be training on the track. Dupree, a three-time Paralympic medalist, is a favorite to not only qualify in the men’s visually-impaired division, but to also land on top of the podium in Rio. Moore, a senior at the University of Illinois studying industrial design, is looking to make her first Paralympic Games to compete in the women’s wheelchair racing division. Peterson is also looking to make his Games debut to compete in the men’s below-the-knee sprinting events. All three athletes will be available to speak with the media about their journey to represent Team USA at the Rio Games immediately following remarks. Some new, adaptive sport equipment will also be donated to a local program during the program for use by youth and adults with physical disabilities. The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will be the largest in history, with more than 4,500 athletes from 176 countries expected to compete. The Paralympic Games is the third largest sporting event in the world. Complete details about the Trials can be found at USParalympics.org/2016TeamTrials. WHAT U.S. Paralympic Team Trials Press Conference, athlete media availability and b-roll opportunity WHEN & WHERE Press Conference 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Charlotte Convention Center, Room 203AB 501 S. College Street Charlotte, NC 28202 B-roll Opportunity with amputee sprinter Paul Peterson III 1 – 2 p.m. Irwin Belk Complex at Johnson C. Smith University 100 Beatties Ford Rd Charlotte, NC 28216 USOC Contact Beth Bourgeois, U.S. Paralympics Beth.Bourgeois@usoc.org │719-866-2039