Torn ligaments, strained muscles, and tendonitis are among the most common injuries in sports. Athletes are injured all the time. But behind every great comeback story is a clinician guiding every step of the return to greatness.

Across the country, there are more than 310,000 physical therapists with active licenses to help support that work. Third-year exercise science student Jahlil Gary hopes to join the growing number of physical therapists in athletics.

From age six to eighteen, third-year exercise science student Annie Finholm devoted countless hours to competitive gymnastics. During one practice her world was turned upside-down. Anyone who's watched gymnastics has seen the dangerous yet impressive vault event. We all hold our breath as gymnasts sprint, launch, and attempt near-perfect landings.

For her, that moment became more than a spectacle. During a vault attempt, the skill didn’t unfold the way it was supposed to, and Finholm sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that ended her run in the 2021-22 season. The injury left her unable to compete, attend school or even read a book.

From then on, Finholm set her hopes on becoming an orthopedic physician assistant working with athletes facing similar situations.

Sophomore health science major David Chicu is building a foundation for a future career in military preventive medicine through Drexel University’s Army ROTC program. A first-generation student and ROTC scholarship recipient, Chicu combines academic study, military training and hands-on experiences as he prepares for a career serving in the U.S. Army’s medical system.