Riley Vanosdol didn’t leave high school planning to become an Athletic Trainer.
Growing up around animals and participating in FFA, Vanosdol initially planned to pursue molecular biology and pre-veterinary medicine.
But after reconsidering that path in college, the former student-athlete found herself thinking about someone who had made an impact on her years earlier—her high school Athletic Trainer.
“She always advocated for my health and made sure that I was safe and always ready to play,” Vanosdol told The Republic.
That experience helped steer Vanosdol toward Athletic Training, where she discovered she could combine her desire to help others with her love of sports.
“I want to make a difference, and I want to help others,” she said. “Since then, I fell in love with the profession.”
A Marion, Ohio, native, Vanosdol played four years of softball at Defiance College while earning her bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a minor in psychology. She later earned her master’s degree at Indiana University and completed clinical rotations at Edgewood and Bloomington North High Schools.
This summer, she became the new Athletic Trainer at Columbus North, joining Athletic Trainer Chance Newkirk.
And Vanosdol is already finding herself on the other side of the relationship that first introduced her to the profession.
“The kids are very appreciative,” she said. “They know what we do and see our long hours.”
For Vanosdol, a career she never expected has become one she describes as “the greatest gift.”