Elk Grove athlete Adrienne Vergara needed help.

It was her sophomore year when the gymnast, now a senior, went to the athletic training room in need to get her wrist taped for gymnastics, but later left with a new passion to help other athletes. 

“I would always walk into the athletic training room and see students helping out other athletes and I wanted to help out too,” Vergara said. 

Seeing students help out other athletes inspired Vergara. So, she decided to sign up as an apprentice in the Elk Grove athletic training room.

“Sophomore and junior year I was a student aid for the spring season, and at the end of my junior year, I applied to be an apprentice for my senior year,” Vergara said. 

Vergara said she spends around 15 hours per week in the training room learning from Irving Gonzalez, the head trainer at Elk Grove. Vergara said that it proves that learning can be fun, especially when it comes to doing something she’s passionate about.

By working under the supervision of Gonzalez, Vergara said she has the opportunity to learn everything she wanted to do. 

“I learn to tape and wrap, and learn how to identify injuries,” Vergara said. “I also teach the student aids about rehab and answer their questions.”

As a student-athlete, Vergara said she has been injured a large number of times throughout her athletic career at Elk Grove. It doesn’t come as a surprise that she is interested in learning more about identifying these injuries.

“The trainers don’t just teach me stuff about athletic training, but also how to talk to athletes and develop friendships with them,” Vergara said.

As the year comes to a close, Vergara has officially committed to Marquette University with a major in exercise physiology and advises future students interested in athletic training to push past their fears. 

“It may be intimidating at first, but all the hours you work are so worth it,” Vergara said. “You become close with all the athletes that come in regularly and make memories you can’t make in any other activity.”