NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2026 CAREER AWARDS

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2026 Career Awards. Selected after careful review by the NSCA Board of Directors, these honorees represent careers that have left a lasting mark on the strength and conditioning profession through their leadership, service, and long-term contributions. Each recipient will be formally recognized at the 2026 NSCA National Conference in New Orleans, LA, and online, July 8–11.

Since 1993, the Boyd Epley Award for NSCA Lifetime Contributions has honored individuals who have exhibited historical impact, achievements, and dedication to the NSCA over the course of their careers. Named after Boyd Epley, NSCA’s founder, this award is considered the most prestigious honor an NSCA Member can achieve. Receiving this honor in 2026 is John Graham, MS, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA.

John Graham is the Senior Network Administrator for Lifestyle Health & Wellness, Fitness & Sports Performance at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is pursuing his Doctorate of Health Sciences at East Stroudsburg University and has served as an adjunct professor at multiple colleges and universities.

Graham’s service to the NSCA spans governance, certification, education, and publication. He was a member of the NSCA Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003, including as Vice President in 2002 and Secretary/Treasurer in 2003. He also contributed through the NSCA Certification Committee from 2010 to 2017, chairing it from 2012 to 2017, and the Conference and Education Committee, which he chaired from 2004 to 2009. In NSCA publications, Graham was editor of the Exercise Technique Column in the Strength and Conditioning Journal (SCJ) from 2000 to 2011, has served as an associate editor for the SCJ since 2008, and received the SCJ Editorial Excellence Award in 2000.

Beyond his NSCA service, Graham has authored or contributed to peer-reviewed and lay publications and presented on strength and conditioning, chronic disease and disability management, health, fitness, and metabolic training. He also coordinates, designs, and implements exercise prescriptions for athletes, fitness populations, and individuals with chronic conditions and disorders. His work has earned recognition from organizations and institutions including the American Council on Exercise, Medical Fitness Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, business publications, and state government bodies.

Created in 1986, the NSCA Alvin Roy Award for Career Legacy honors Alvin Roy, who helped establish strength and conditioning as the cornerstone of any training program. Roy was one of the first coaches to show that lifting weights would improve both speed and power, and he helped debunk the myth that lifting weights made athletes slower. In light of his legacy, this esteemed award is given to an individual whose career achievements have advanced the practice, scientific understanding, or methodologies of strength and conditioning. Receiving this honor in 2026 is Bud S. Bjornaraa.

Bud S. Bjornaraa is a retired high school teacher and coach whose career in education, coaching, and strength and conditioning spans more than four decades. After completing 41 years as a professional educator and coach, Bjornaraa continued serving as an instructor for a career program in carpentry and construction before volunteering in track and field at Pequot Lakes High School from 2013 to the present. As of 2026, he is in his 65th year of coaching.

Bjornaraa served 23 years at Apple Valley High School, where he was a physical education instructor, sports medicine advisor, head strength and conditioning coordinator, assistant football coach, and head track and field coach. While at Apple Valley, his track and field teams never finished lower than second place in the conference and won 17 consecutive conference championships. His teams also won five consecutive state team championships from 1988 to 1992, with the 1991 team recognized by track and field historians as the best team in Minnesota history.

Bjornaraa’s honors include Minnesota Track and Field Coach of the Year, Minnesota Assistant Football Coach of the Year, Minnesota State Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year, the 1999 NSCA High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, induction into multiple halls of fame, and Minnesota Track and Field Volunteer Coach of the Year. He is also the author of Weight Training Systematized and Systematic Applications of Strength Training and Conditioning.

Awarded since 1997, the NSCA Impact Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions that have impacted a segment of the overall field of strength and conditioning. Receiving this honor in 2026 is Loren Landow, CSCS, RSCC*E.

Loren Landow is a world-renowned strength and conditioning expert with more than 27 years of experience at all levels of elite athlete training. He is the Trematerra Family Director of Football Performance at the University of Notre Dame, where he began in 2024. During his time at Notre Dame, the Irish advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship game for the 2024 season and won the 2025 Sugar Bowl and 2025 Orange Bowl. Before Notre Dame, Landow served as head strength and conditioning coach for the Denver Broncos from 2018 to 2023 and owns and directs Landow Performance in Centennial, Colorado, where he has worked with thousands of athletes across professional and amateur competition, including those in the NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC, and WNBA, as well as multiple Olympic medalists.

Landow is known for integrating sports performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. With the Broncos, he oversaw return-to-play programs and collaborated with the head coach, wellness director, athletic training staff, and nutritionist on athlete performance. Earlier, as director of sports performance at Steadman-Hawkins Clinic Denver, he established the clinic’s sports performance department and developed ACL prevention and return-to-sport protocols.

Throughout his career, Landow has prepared NFL Draft prospects for the NFL Combine and Pro Days, worked with NFL veterans on off-season training, coached more than 70 NFL All-Pro players and 32 first-round selections, and consulted with professional teams, U.S. national teams, and collegiate strength and conditioning programs. In 2025, he also served as a consultant to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as SEAL Team 6.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose careers continue to advance the field and reflect the lasting influence these awards were created to honor.

The NSCA invites you to join us in celebrating their achievements at the 2026 NSCA National Conference in New Orleans, LA, and online, July 8–11. Register now at NSCA.com/NSCACon.

For more information about the NSCA’s esteemed awards, visit NSCA.com/Membership/Awards.

Media Note: To schedule an interview, please contact Marketing@nsca.com.

About the National Strength & Conditioning Association

Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an educational nonprofit dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning and sport science professions around the world. The NSCA empowers a community of professionals by disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application through industry-leading certifications, peer-reviewed research journals, career development services, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 certified professionals and members