The SEGway News Issue 41, 27 July 2017 | Page 4

July 27 , 2017 The SEGway News Page 3

Personality Adam Sparks : Triathlons , sports medicine , and church leadership

by Mikayla Marazzi

One day , after years of inactivity , Adam Sparks decided to go for a run . Though he hadn ’ t run more than 1 mile in his entire life , that day he ran for 6 straight miles — and found , surprisingly , that he really enjoyed it . Soon after , Adam began training rigorously and passionately for his first triathlon . Now , six years later , Adam has completed an astounding total of 3 half Ironman Triathlons ! These races entail a 1.2-mile swim , 56- mile bike ride , and finish with a half-marathon , totalling at 70.3 miles .

Upon realizing that his time was being split in many different directions , especially after having kids , Adam realized that he needed to refocus some positive attention and energy back on himself . In order to be present and involved in the lives of his children , he needed to attend to his own mental and physical health . During this training season , which included going on frequent 100-mile bike rides or 3-mile swims , Adam lost 70 lbs . “ Being overweight can put a burden on a lot of things ,” he explains , “ and training has given me a goal , something to achieve and get better at .” Adam recounts that he simply feels better all the time since he began training .

Alongside triathlons , Adam lists leading worship as a central and definitive passion in his life . He ’ s been leading worship for over 10 years at Upland United Methodist Church , singing and playing acoustic guitar . Adam describes his praise team as “ phenomenal ” and “ very talented .” His church is specifically focused on building a community that incorporates both the Upland and Taylor communities . He is excited to be apart of a congregation that values reaching out to anyone , regardless of who you are or what your faith is . Adam is happy to be a part of both the Upland and Taylor community and is constantly seeking to bridge the gap between these two often disparate worlds .

Adam originally moved to Upland in 1988 to attend

Taylor University and has remained in the area ever since . He played football for Taylor his freshman year ; however , the same year he incurred a serious shoulder injury and was forced to stop playing . This injury , though , inspired him to pursue a career in sports medicine — which is the field he works in today . For the first 4 years after his graduation , Adam worked as a personal and athletic trainer in the Wellness Center , but soon , upon receiving a call from Taylor , he accepted a job in sports medicine at Taylor . Adam has now been working as an athletic trainer for Taylor University ’ s football program for 11 years .

Sports medicine creates opportunities for Adam to build significant relationships with his athletes . Recently , he attended a wedding of an athlete that graduated 7 years ago — someone he describes as a friend , not just an ex-athlete . Adam recounts that he has also sung at a few of his players weddings . His describes his relationships as more superficial ; they are Christ-centered and authentic . Further , Adam has been to extend his relationships with his athletes past the football field . He and his wife , Sara , will often host groups of athletes or open up their home to allow athletes to stay the night somewhere off campus .

Having been a part of Taylor ’ s football program for the past 20 years , Adam has seen its ups and downs . There have been successful years and years that were not as successful , but he has seen the team significantly improved over the last 5 or 6 years . Adam attributes this improvement to both the coaching staff and a close community among the athletes themselves . Out of Taylor ’ s 80-member football team , 45 of those players are working on campus for the summer — training together and building community with one another . Adam believes that teamwork is central to the value of sports , that football , like all sports , is founded upon a mutual commitment among teammates to support and perform for one another . “ It ’ s not about the individual , but about the team ,” Adam emphasizes .

Adam loves that his job allows him to provide comfort and support to individuals in the midst of their pain . “ These athletes are battling something that hurts ,” Adam describes , “ and I get to be there and let them know that someone cares about them .”

People will often ask Adam if he aspires to work for the NFL or other collegiate sports programs , and his response is always the same : “ If I can retire doing what I am doing right now ,” Adam says , “ I ’ d be happy .”

Hospitality Opportunities at

Taylor University

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