Piedmont Athens Regional’s (PAR’s) Sports Medicine department named Lindsey Herring, a rising senior and competitive cheer athlete at Lake Oconee Academy (LOA), as its Athlete of the Month for August.
The PAR program recognizes one student athlete each month for his or her demonstrated perseverance through an athletic injury or medical illness, either on or off the field.
Herring underwent left knee ACL reconstruction before completing rehabilitation at the PAR Orthopedics Sports Medicine clinic. While not often highlighted, competitive cheer is an incredibly physical sport and has a high rate of injury. Following reconstruction surgery, Herring and her Piedmont Athens provider team created a care plan to help her regain full range of motion, strength, and functional abilities in her left knee.
“During her rehab, Lindsey made sure to perform her exercises consistently, both in the clinic and on her own,” said Zach Gretsch, a physical therapist at Piedmont Athens Regional’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine.
“An ACL reconstruction typically takes nine months to a year of rehab before the athlete returns to his or her sport.
Lindsey has had a positive attitude and worked hard and has passed the lower extremity return to sport test and is currently back to her prior level of function.”
The Athlete of the Month program was established by PAR’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team to support and recognize local, hard-working student-athletes.
“The athletes we work with are truly amazing and have to overcome so much in order to play sports again after an injury or illness,” said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s sports medicine program.
“The award was developed to celebrate their hard work in our sports medicine rehab program. Each month, we focus on one high school and meet as a committee, which includes the school’s athletic director, other members of their team and members of the athletic training program.”
As the Athlete of the Month, Herring received a certificate and is featured in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility, located on Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville.
Lindsey Herring