Athletic Trainer Robin Lenschgrew up playing sports, but it wasn’t until college softball tryouts that
she had her first sports-related injury. Robin sprained her ankle and needed an athletic trainer’s help. The
experience revealed Robin’s calling.

“The atmosphere of the training room and the staff’s motivation to help really sparked my passion for athletic training,” Robin recalls.

High-stake Decisions

Robin’s desire to serve others led her to a school environment. She spent two decades at Fairmont High
School, where she led the way in caring for more than 800 student-athletes.

“I loved being a resource for the community,” Robin says. “Whether an athlete was down on the field or a
parent in the stands needed help; I appreciated the opportunity to serve.”

Robin credits her sports background for helping her connect with the athletes, especially football players: “If you’re going to cover a sport, you have to know the jargon to get some street cred with the players!”

Athletic training also requires the ability to make high-stakes decisions quickly. “Wrestling is a perfect example of this,” she explains. “You have an athlete on the mat who may have a concussion. There are maybe 90 seconds to decide whether it’s safe for the athlete to continue. You could be making or breaking this athlete’s chances to compete at a higher level. It’s a lot on your shoulders.”

Robin’s skill and compassion earned her a spot in the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. She was one of only two inductees in 2022.

A valuable team player

After 25 years, Robin stepped away from the sidelines and into the stands to cheer for her own teenage children.

She now cares for patients at an orthopedic Kettering Health Medical Group practice, where she works with Dr. Blake Daney, a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon.

“The number of lives Robin has helped impact through transitioning her athletic training skills into the orthopedic clinic is immeasurable,” says Dr. Daney. “I’m blessed to have her on my team.”

“As athletic trainers and in medicine overall, we want to get people back to the activities that make them happy,” Robin says. “It’s been so rewarding, and I love making a difference for my patients.”