An ACL Injury Introduced Dr. Torres to Athletic Training. Now She’s Giving Back.

For Dr. Paulina Torres, becoming an Athletic Trainer started with an experience she never expected — suffering a serious injury herself.

Torres tore her ACL as an athlete, putting her on the patient side of sports medicine and introducing her to an Athletic Trainer who would have a lasting impact on her career.

“I tore my ACL, I got to see the other side of things,” Torres said. “My athletic trainer was amazing and was a great mentor, and I fell in love with the profession. So yeah, this is something I wanted to do.”

Today, Torres brings that experience to her work with the Vaqueros, where her days can begin around 4 a.m. at the Vaqueros Performance Center.

But her approach goes beyond getting athletes physically ready to compete.

Torres puts an emphasis on helping athletes understand why they’re doing something, whether she’s demonstrating a rehabilitation exercise, using visuals to explain treatment or helping an athlete better understand what they’re feeling.

“Having that conversation and that visual representation really helps connect with the patient,” Torres said. “They understand also why we're doing what we're doing and our plan makes sense.”

That connection extends beyond injuries.

Torres maintains an open-door policy and believes the relationships Athletic Trainers build with athletes put them in a unique position to support the person behind the uniform.

“We're not only here for your physical health, we're here for your mental health,” Torres said. “You build relationships with all my patients, so you get to know them on a personal level.”

Years after her own Athletic Trainer helped guide her through an ACL injury, Torres now has the opportunity to build those same kinds of relationships with the athletes who walk through her door.