The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) announced recently that David Vobora, a former NFL Linebacker and founder of the Adaptive Training Foundation, a nonprofit rehabilitation program for people with physical disabilities that bridges the gap from basic function to adapted sports, will be sharing his story as a keynote speaker during the virtual AHPA Sports Nutrition Congress on Oct. 21.
 
Vobora’s four-year career in the NFL, in which he was a linebacker for both the NFL’s Rams and Seahawks, was cut short at age 25 following a shoulder injury and addiction to painkillers. Following his recovery, Vobora opened a gym and met U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee. The two developed an adaptive workout plan to address the challenges posed by Mills’ injuries, and from this experience, the Adaptive Training Foundation was founded.
 
“We are proud to recognize and honor this hero who helps our country’s heroes find fulfillment through adaptive performance training by featuring him as the keynote speaker at AHPA’s Sports Nutrition Congress,” Robert Wildman, AHPA’s Sports Nutrition Committee chair and chief science officer at Dymatize, said. “Certainly, the world can use more inspiration now, and as David Vobora talks about the good he does, we, the sports nutrition community, will in turn translate that into the greater good we can do. That would indeed be inspirational.”
 
Vobora’s keynote address will be the last full session of the day, followed by closing remarks from AHPA president Michael McGuffin.
 
“Our inaugural Sports Nutrition Congress will be packed with practical information for companies and individuals with a stake in this space,” McGuffin said. “Our expert speakers will cover business building and consumer trust, regulation, liability, and risk reduction, developing a cost-effective research program for companies, and more. David Vobora’s motivational keynote should leave attendees with a shining example of what it means to be part of the sports nutrition community.”
 
The AHPA Sports Nutrition Congress will include educational seminars on strategy innovation, ingredient and product testing for regulatory compliance, liability and risk reduction, marketing strategies, research program development, and more.