Tom Sheppard sits down with Jared Simmons, an adaptive powerlifter, coach, and founder of The Platform, a nonprofit advocating for adaptive athletes in strength sports. theplatformao The conversation covers Jared’s journey into powerlifting, starting from discovering weightlifting as a personal passion in his early 20s, struggling with personal challenges—including a serious car accident, back surgery, and painkiller addiction—and ultimately finding purpose through competitive lifting. Jared discusses the challenges adaptive athletes face in powerlifting, including barriers to competition due to lack of federation policies, accessibility concerns, and limited awareness within the sport. He highlights the progress being made by some organizations, such as USPC, which is now hosting the first Adaptive Nationals for powerlifting. However, he also notes resistance from larger federations that prioritize traditional competition structures over inclusion. 📺 Full transcript available on ...