Draft 1

Profile Draft (1st Draft)
Leading the Weight Room – Profile on Corrine McPadden
By Jimmy Hulland

Long before she was coaching college athletes in the University of New England weight room, before the early alarms and the training logs and the endless reps, strength and conditioning was simply a feeling for Corrine McPadden. A feeling rooted in movement, competition, and growth.
“Sport has always been a central part of my life,” said McPadden, who as a child was encouraged by her parents to try her hand at everything from gymnastics and dance to golf, soccer, softball, and basketball. In the process, she didn’t just learn athletic skills-she developed a love for performance itself.
But it wasn’t until college that she realized how much strength and conditioning shaped her and others identity. While playing basketball at Roanoke College, McPadden underwent surgery on both feet which she said was an experience that pulled her away from the court, and toward the weight room.
“That experience gave me first-hand insight into the physical and mental challenges athletes face when dealing with injury,” she said. “Strength training deepened my appreciation for the resilience and discipline required to return to play.”
That one moment changed everything.
Following graduation, she interned at UConn, learning from college strength coaches with experience. It was then that she realized she didn’t just want to train athletes, she wanted to develop them. A mentor encouraged her to go to graduate school, and thus she landed at Merrimack College, balancing a full course load while serving as a head strength coach for four teams.
The challenge pushed her and confirmed that she was where she was supposed to be.

Outline 

Nut Graph – Corrine’s journey from multi-sport childhood to strength coach shaped by injury.

Quote – “Sport has always been a central part of my life…”

Delayed Lead – Injury opened the path to strength and conditioning.

Quote – Foot surgery experience shaping her perspective.

Background – UConn internship → Merrimack grad school → coaching multiple teams.

Quote/Interview – Meeting athletes where they are / humans first.

Theme/Importance – Coaching built on relationships, trust, connection.

How Did She Get Here? – Mentorship + hands-on collegiate training experience.

Quote – “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

What’s Next? – Wants athletes to learn resilience, discipline, belief in themselves.Quote – “I hope athletes learn to embrace the suck…”