Silver Spring, MD—The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has announced several speakers for its virtual Sports Nutrition Congress, taking place on October 21, according to a press release.

The keynote speaker will be David Vobora, Founder of Adaptive Training Foundation and former NFL Linebacker. The press release says that when he was picked last in the 2008 NFL draft he was nicknamed Mr. Irrelevant—and then at age 25, a shoulder injury cut his career short, followed by an addiction to painkillers along with an identity crisis.

Vobora kicked his addiction and opened up a gym, and then, the press release says, he met US Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee. The two built a customized workout plan for Mills, and Vobora found his passion: helping other vets with similar challenges. Thus, the Adaptive Training Foundation was born.
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“We’re 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,” said Robert Wildman, AHPA Sports Nutrition Committee Chair and Chief Science Officer at Dymatize, in the press release.  “Certainly, the world can use more inspiration now, and as David (“DV”) 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.”

The keynote address will focus on Vobora’s experience and the role that food, supplements, training, and lifestyle provides for the sports nutrition community. His address will be the last full session of the day.

“Our inaugural Sports Nutrition Congress will be packed with practical information for companies and individuals with a stake in this space. 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,” said Michael McGuffin, President of AHPA. “David Vobora’s motivational keynote should leave attendees with a shining example of what it means to be part of the sports nutrition community.”

According to a second press release, The Vitamin Shoppe has joined as another speaker—Jack Gayton, Senior Buyer, Sports Nutrition, will join speakers from Arla Food Ingredients and Innova Market Insights in “Game On! U.S. and International Trends in the Sports Nutrition Market,” a panel kicking off the event.

The Congress will run from 8:00am-4:30pm Pacific Time. AHPA is offering an Early Bird Discount of 20% off the general registration fee of $449 (for AHPA members) and $575 (for non-members) by using the code EBSNC20. Those looking for promotional discounts and sponsorship opportunities should contact Amber Bennett atabennett@ahpa.org. For more information, including the agenda, or to register, go toahpa.org.