Toward the middle of my Junior season, I fractured my hip socket, and tore my labrum, and played the rest of the season and playoffs. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through another off season of training and full game schedule if I did nothing about it. So my family and I sought out the best hip surgeon we could find. Through our research with elite runners and athletes, we found Dr. Tom Ellis. Unfortunately, the surgery that I required was going to take 6-8 months of recovery time, which meant that I might miss my senior season. Despite it being a two and a half hour drive to get to the office of Dr. Ellis, I knew I was seeing the best, and boy were the long drives worth it. Dr. Ellis and his team communicated with my parents and I about every step of the process. I know he had other patients, but I felt like I was the only one. They were able to work around my schedule as a busy Junior/Senior and we did virtual sessions to accommodate the two and a half hour distance. I did exactly what Dave Kholrieser told me to do and despite some twists and turns in my recovery; I was back on the field by game three. We are in the middle of a playoff run and I have committed to play college football at Denison University. Without Dr. Tom Ellis and Dave's help, I don't know where I'd be today.
After my surgeries, I have achieved so many great things academically and in athletics. In March 2024, I competed at NDA High School Nationals just two months after getting eight screws removed from my hips and five months after my second PAO surgery. My team placed second and third in the nation. In April 2024, I started my fourth season on my high schools varsity dance team, as well as my third year as varsity captain. In July 2024, around 9 months after my second surgery, I was named to the NDA All-American team and awarded my second NDA Excellence in Leadership Award. In August 2024, I was a year out from my first surgery and was dancing almost at my full potential again. In February 2025, I led my team to a fourth place finish in both the AAA pom and AAA kick categories at IHSDTA State Finals, while also being named to the Academic All-State team and receiving 1 of 5 IHSDTA Scholarships. The next weekend, I competed at Solo State Finals and placed in the top 10 out of over 60 senior soloists in the state of Indiana. I will be attending Butler University in the fall to major in Psychology with a minor in Sports Coaching, with the hopes of being a Sports Performance Psychologist. I will also be trying out for the nationally ranked Butler Dance Team in just over a month. None of these great accomplishments would have ever been possible without the help of Dr. Ellis and the Orthopedic ONE staff. I am so grateful for all of the guidance they have given me throughout my journey both before and after my surgeries.