WSSU athletics trainers honored for life-saving measures

Introduction by Ross Dale

In the sports world, the unsung hero of battlefield is the athletic trainer. Much like a medic on the front lines, these health professionals often work out of the spotlight, but jump to the occasion to assist an injured athlete, on or off the field. However, this month is made out to give them that due respect, and acknowledge them for the impact they make. Sometimes that impact is even too great to be kept out of the spotlight. In North Carolina, a few athletic trainers took immediate action following an athlete breaking his neck that ended up saving his life!

Via Winston-Salem Journal (http://www.journalnow.com/)

Athletic trainers John Lavender and Ian Mushinski have been honored for their work at Winston-Salem State following the care they gave after football player Marquise Gaddy was injured.
Last September Gaddy suffered life-threatening injuries in a routine tackling drill during practice that required Lavender and Mushinski to respond immediately. Gaddy, a freshman defensive back from Charlotte, was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken neck and spinal cord injuries.
About a month later Gaddy, after extensive rehabilitation, walked out of a Charlotte hospital. Gaddy is expected back at WSSU this fall.
Lavender and Mushinski were presented with their North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association awards on Saturday in Wrightsville Beach at the NCATA conference.
The two were among several trainers throughout the state who won the Lifesaver Recognition Award.
Mushinski, the head athletic trainer at WSSU, has been with the school for the last years…