Study Away: Training elite athletes in Colorado

Chad Trudo '09 and Jenee Rago '14 understand the impact of experiential learning trips. Their memories as Aurora University students inspired them to lead a small group of students on a trip to Colorado in May to visit athletic facilities and learn about the training of elite athletes.

Similar trips to Colorado influenced their own careers, and Trudo and Rago are both now on the AU staff. Trudo is associate athletic director for facilities and logistics and director of strength and conditioning. Rago is AU's head strength and conditioning coach.

The Colorado trip has become a hallmark of AU's academic programs in sport management, athletic training, and exercise science. Colorado's higher elevation, with thinner air, makes it a prime location for sports training facilities, helping athletes enhance their endurance.

"The students take away so much more when getting firsthand experiences of the lessons they learn about in textbooks," Trudo said.

Students took part in the applied exercise science class to Denver and Colorado Springs as part of the travel study courses offered by AU's Office of Global Engagement. The trip introduced students to career paths and to cutting-edge sports science research and technologies.

Exploring cutting-edge training facilities

One highlight was a visit to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, a world-class venue that attracts elite athletes from around the country for its specialized resources and proximity to high-altitude areas. The group also visited the University of Denver and Mullen High School, both known for their extensive strength and conditioning programs.

"We met with multiple people from the exercise science world, especially with strength and conditioning coaches, who inspired me to want to get a strength and conditioning certification," said Khya Phillippe '25. "We also were able to see the different level of athletes that we could potentially work with."

The students also learned about high-altitude training firsthand when they conquered the Manitou Incline, which rises 2,000 feet in less than one mile. The course concluded with the students developing, presenting, and defending detailed strength and conditioning programs.

Rago recalled when she went on a similar trip as an AU student more than a decade ago, her career goals solidified after she met the strength and conditioning coach at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

"I was hooked," Rago said. "That same coach is still at the academy, and these long-term connections are what make us successful for so many years."