Piedmont Athens Regional issued the following announcement on Feb. 14.
Piedmont Athens Regional’s Sports Medicine department announced Michael Fleming, a football player and track runner at Oglethorpe County High School, has been named Athlete of the Month, a program that recognizes one high school student athlete each month for his/her demonstrated perseverance through an athletic injury or medical illness either on or off the field.
Fleming, a junior at OCHS, suffered an injury to the meniscus in his left knee. The meniscus is cartilage in the knee that cushions the joint. Fleming underwent a partial meniscectomy, a surgical procedure that removes the torn part of the meniscus, followed by a six-week rehabilitation treatment program created to improve his range of motion and strength.
“Michael’s goal was to compete in the spring track season,” said Piedmont Athens Regional Physical Therapist Zach Gretsch. “Michael understood the goals he needed to achieve regarding his strength and range of motion in order to safely compete on the track. He was diligent performing his exercises at home and always came to his appointments with a positive attitude and high energy towards whatever task we gave him.”
The Athlete of the Month program was established by Piedmont Athens Regional’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team in an effort 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, Fleming received a certificate and is featured in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility located on Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville, Ga.
“Once Michael was cleared to run, I have never seen an athlete more ecstatic about getting to return to their sport” said Gretsch. “As someone who loves sports, it brings me a lot of joy to see an athlete so happy to return to playing.”
For more information about services offered through Piedmont Physicians Orthopedic Sports Medicine of Athens, click here.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Piedmont Athens Regional
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