0
0
Thousands of students have come through NS. Thousands have had sprained ankles, pulled muscles, shin splints, and an assortment of other injuries. When these injuries occur, athletic trainer Jamie Withers is the one to see.
Withers was introduced to the medical side of athletics by her high school sports medicine teacher. After attending the University of Utah, Withers decided to return to high school, except this time as a teacher and a trainer rather than a student.
“I figured that high school would be a little more controllable hours, and you have the opportunity to go through all the seasons, all the sports,” Withers said.
Athletic training at the college level is much more time-intensive. Even at the high school level, the hours are all over the place.
“That would be the downfall of probably what you’d hear any athletic trainer say about the whole profession, is the time frame,” Withers said. “The hours, it’s not consistent.”
Outside of athletic training Withers and her family engage in various horse related activities. “Horses are like our family thing,” Withers said, “between showing the horses and working the horses, that’s kind of just our thing.”
While going to Riverton High School, Withers competed in barrel racing and poles on the highschool team.
“Horses have always been in my life,” Withers said, “I mean my mom was riding horses while pregnant with me, to carrying me in her arms as a baby on trail rides. So ya, horses have always been like my life and I figured I would continue that with my own kids and it was a part of my husband’s world too, and that’s another reason we ended up in this area.”
Withers lives with the intent to show up and do her part. Not only is she kind and fun, but she isn’t afraid to put in the work.
“I would say that she has such a fun bubbly personality,” senior Kaydence Blain said, “but also when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. She has a very good work ethic.”
Withers is known by the students for her humor, kindness and sarcastic personality.
“I love her attitude,” junior Jaycelyn Reyes said. “She is always joking. You can tell that she cares about her students, but she also just is kind of like their friend in a way. I feel like everybody loves Jamie. Like if you go into the training room after school everyone is always in there.”
Reyes is not the only one with this lighthearted opinion.
“There are a lot of words I could use to describe Jamie,” senior Jackson Dimmick said, “kind is one of them. Jamie is one of the most kind-hearted people at this school. She can take your bad thoughts and give you crap about it and make you happy. And one of the greatest things she can do is just relate to you and make you feel better about yourself or make you understand certain things.”
Withers is there for her students. Their future, and their now.
“[Withers] knows that I want to go into nursing and go into that field,” Reyes said. “Maybe for the last year, she offered to help me do an internship and I feel like I am so appreciative that she was willing to take that time to teach me so that I could go into college.”
Withers is focused on helping her students in their current lives as well.
“As the past three years I’ve watched her and she has been able to take people who are hurt and she has been able to make them feel better like legit make them physically better and even mentally better,” Dimmick said.
These positive traits aren’t extended to her current students only.
“Jamie’s got your back no matter what,” Dimmick said. “Jamie will always be there for you even after you get out of high school. You can always still go visit her and she will always have a good word to say. Jamie is just probably one of the nicest people I have met in this school. Jamie is one of the people I can rely on and I can be friends with.”
Withers is appreciated by her students.
“She’s very awesome sauce, and everyone should love her,” Reyes said.
Just like she seized an opportunity presented to her in high school, she now teaches and encourages her students to do the same.
“Do not miss out on an opportunity,” Withers said. “If one is presented to you, take it, because you are going to learn something from it, and it might open a door you didn’t think would.”
