Lindsay Fujihiro '19 Recruiting Profile

I have played competitive basketball for over ten years. In the fourth grade, I twisted my knee and began treatment with a physical therapist. Even after my injury had completely healed, I continued to see her once a month for stretching and strengthening to keep myself in proper balance. She also taught me about how the human body works. Each time I left her office, I wanted to know more, so I would ask my mom to take me to the library so I could check out books about anatomy and physiology. Last year, I was finally granted the opportunity to receive formal training in this subject that I had become so passionate about through a course offered by my school called “Sports Medicine”. Many of my peers convey that they want to become physical therapists to help people recover from injuries, and while I hope to do that as well, I have another motivation to study kinesiology: to use physical therapy as a preventative measure. I know a handful of people who have suffered crippling anterior cruciate ligament injuries, which have kept them sidelined for up to one year. I have been lucky enough not to have experienced such an injury, and I truly believe it is because I have consistently worked with a physical trainer despite being completely healthy. In college, I hope to gain an incredible amount of hands-on experience in the field of physical therapy. A major in Kinesiology will prepare me for my dream job as either a physical therapist or an athletic trainer.

Beyond academics, I hope that my college experience will help me establish new friendships that will last a lifetime. I also intend to be extremely active on my college campus by joining clubs and playing sports. Finally, I want to become more independent, as it will be the first time in my life that I will not be living with my parents.

I believe I would be an asset to any school’s basketball team because my passion for the sport is unparalleled. Both of my parents play basketball, so it has been a huge part of my life since I was born. My basketball experience has formed me into the person I am today. When I made the school basketball team the summer before my freshman year, my coach and some of my teammates encouraged me to join the fall cross country team as a way to condition for basketball season. Although I had never been interested in running - in fact, I rather disliked it - I signed up for the cross country team with a few of the girls from my basketball team, hoping to become a stronger athlete and bond with my teammates at the same time. A small part of me even thought I would have some fun; however, this notion quickly dissipated about thirty minutes into my first practice. My lungs were burning, my legs felt stiff as a board, and my mind kept telling me I had to stop. I went home that day wanting to quit the cross country team and just focus on basketball, a sport I was actually passionate about and truly enjoyed. However, encouragement from both my parents and my teammates motivated me to continue my cross country training.

As the weeks went by, I noticed I was not getting as tired as I had felt on the first day. I was able to run faster and longer, and, more importantly, my mind was getting stronger. I even placed in the top fifty for one of my races that year, adding to my team’s overall medal count. At the end of my freshman season, I received the Most Improved Runner Award, which I still consider to be one of my greatest accomplishments. I was in for a rude awakening when I joined the cross country team, but I was able to take a negative experience, put in the hard work, and turn it into a positive experience. I know that running did not get easier - I just got stronger.

Ultimately, the challenges I faced when I joined the cross country team helped shape the student, athlete, and person I am today: I am not afraid to step out of my comfort zone to try new things because I learned from experience that if I put my mind to something and never give up, no matter how challenging it may be, I can achieve anything. I have been able to apply this mentality to several other challenges I have encountered during my high school experience and will carry this invaluable lesson with me into adulthood.