After Her Own ACL Injury, AT Gina Martin Built Career Helping Athletes Recover

For Gina Martin, Athletic Training became personal long before it became a profession.

After tearing her ACL in high school and enduring a long rehab process, Martin discovered firsthand how much an Athletic Trainer can impact an athlete’s recovery—not just physically, but mentally as well.

“Going through the extensive rehab… made me want to help someone else in my situation,” Martin said. “Seeing the motivation my athletic trainer gave me and the drive to recover to go back to sports, that made me want to do this.”

Now, 26 years into her own career as an Athletic Trainer, Martin has become that same source of support for countless athletes at La Salle-Peru High School.

Her days stretch far beyond game coverage. Between clinic responsibilities, rehab sessions, taping, treatments, emergency care, and teaching sports medicine classes, Martin wears multiple hats every day.

“We are the first responders on the field,” she said. “That’s one of the parts that I love about my job.”

But Martin says one of the biggest parts of Athletic Training is helping athletes through the emotional side of injury.

“When you are eliminated from a sport due to injury, you go through phases of being sad… anxiety or depression,” Martin explained. “Being able to connect with the kids and them knowing they can trust me is part of the relationship.”

In addition to caring for athletes, Martin has spent years mentoring future healthcare professionals through a student Athletic Trainer program and now teaches sports medicine classes at L-P.

“And 26 years later,” Martin said, “I still love my job.”

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