Erin Popovich Transitions from U.S. Para Swimming to Champion Purdue Alumni Initiatives


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19-time Paralympic medalist Erin Popovich has accepted the position of Chief of Staff for the Purdue for Life Foundation after leaving her role as the Director of U.S. Para Swimming post the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Purdue for Life Foundation serves as a network for Purdue alumni, linking the Purdue Alumni Association, the President’s Council, and the John Purdue Club. This position has been elevated to a senior leadership role as part of a reorganization of the organization’s leadership under the new President and CEO Julie Dussliere.

Popovich and Dussliere share a longstanding connection from their tenure at the USOPC. Dussliere dedicated 21 years to leadership within the USOPC, including her most recent two years as Senior Vice President, Chief of Paralympics & Internally Managed Sports, prior to her departure in September. Swimming was one of the internally managed sports she supervised.

Dussliere’s background includes eight years as a swim coach, during which she was the head coach and business manager for Rocket Aquatics in Syracuse, New York from 1999 to 2003. She also worked with the Kansas City Blazers, Liverpool Jets, and West Coast Aquatics.

A proud Purdue alum, Dussliere was recognized as an Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree.

“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Erin for many years, and I’m incredibly proud to welcome her to our Purdue for Life team,” stated Dussliere. “Her fervor and commitment—shaped by her extraordinary career—will surely have a vital influence on our efforts to unite and engage the global Purdue community.”

As a competitor, Popovich participated in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Paralympic Games. She became the inaugural ESPY Award recipient for the best female athlete with a disability and was honored as the Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year after claiming seven gold medals in Athens.

She received the same ESPY award again in 2009.

However, Popovich’s leadership of the national para-swimming program concluded amidst controversy. Her exit coincided with the discontinuation of the resident swimming program.

This program has been embroiled in scandal in recent years; in the fall of 2022, Paralympic gold medalist Robert Griswold faced allegations of persistently sexually assaulting a U.S. Paralympic teammate with severe autism, whom he shared accommodation with at the U.S. Paralympic Training Center from January to August. The family of the alleged victim has filed a lawsuit against Griswold, the USOPC, and SafeSport, with the latter eventually being removed from the suit. Almost two years later, the case remains unresolved, and the criminal investigation initially undertaken by the Colorado Springs police department, and subsequently by SafeSport, is still open yet inactive.

The U.S. Paralympic swimming team was in the spotlight at the conclusion of the Paris Games when four swimmers, including star Jessica Long, were prohibited from attending the closing ceremony after facing reprimands for their conduct on social media. Both the USOPC and Popovich issued statements concerning the sanctions, though neither specified the nature of the behavior; however, it likely pertains to social media postings where the four swimmers appeared to question the disability classification of their teammate Christie Raleigh-Crossley, which may result in additional disciplinary measures for them.

Popovich earned her degree in health and exercise science from Colorado State in 2007.


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