by: USA Games Correspondent, tynan gable

The most basic rule of being a Game Changer is simple; make it a priority to promote inclusion in all that you do. Phillip Stevens, better known as “Phil,” is this week’s nominee for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games #ImAGameChanger campaign, and he consistently exemplifies the aims of Special Olympics in his everyday life.

Phil is the owner of Strength Guild Topeka, a weightlifting gym located in Topeka, Kansas. He trains teams of athletes who compete in regional weightlifting competitions as well as more unique events, such as the Highland Games. Several national champions and Topeka-area sports teams have benefitted from Phil’s expertise over the years.

In addition to the high-level athletes Phil trains, there are now also seven powerlifting athletes from the Topeka Shawnee Program of Special Olympics Kansas who work out with Phil, free of charge, multiple times per week. James Turner is the father of one such athlete, Rodnel Turner, who has experienced tremendous improvements in his maximum lifts and overall health and strength as a result of training with Phil for the past year.