Racheal Lawler, PhD, ATC, was often told that there were things that she wouldn’t be able to do as an athletic trainer because she was a woman. But, that never stopped her from going on and getting things done. She has been an incredible force in the athletic training profession. Dr. Lawler says, “I have been very blessed to have been given chances when there were not many chances for women in athletic training. I have worked in minor league baseball and arena football.” Dr. Lawler was the first female head athletic trainer at a NCAA Division II school and at two NCAA Division I schools.
Shifting Strategies
Dr. Lawler completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Athletic Training at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) after working as an athletic trainer for 15 years. For many, “athletic training can be a very demanding, physical, and mental job in a traditional setting,” says Dr. Lawler. “After 15 years, I knew that I was going to want something different for my career, but I didn’t want to leave athletic training. RMUoHP brought this opportunity to me in the form of a PhD.” She hoped that the PhD program would bring her new opportunities, and she graduated with that and so much more.
“I discovered that I really like research—something that I would have never known or admitted a few years ago. This new found joy has opened doors to some new research opportunities that coincide with my dissertation in exertional heat illnesses working with our local fire department,” says Dr. Lawler.
Building Networks
Her best memories are with her classmates and faculty. “I cannot even tell you how much I appreciated Dr. Malissa Martin’s wisdom during the process to obtain a PhD,” she says. She taught students, “You can be a change maker, so go be a change maker. Even now, years later, she is always on time with some enlightening insight.”
Advancing Opportunities
After graduating with her PhD, Dr. Lawler was hired into a tenure position and became the Clinical Education Coordinator at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. In that role, she explains, “I have the opportunity to help build and grow a Master’s in Athletic Training program, live a balanced life outside of work, and discover new hobbies in my new town and area. I am so happy with how the doors have opened post-graduation.”
Aside from her work, Dr. Lawler is actively involved in various, state, regional, and national athletic training organizations.
She says, “What is stopping you from being great? Go for it. Dream God-sized dreams; do not limit yourself to your current knowledge, your current surroundings, or your current situation. If you want something different, work for the changes needed to have something different. Will it be challenging? Yes. Will you think about quitting? Yes. Will it be worth it? Yes, beyond your wildest imagination.”
Affecting Change
Dr. Lawler is passionate about athletic training and its impact on healthcare as a whole. “I love this career…Athletic training is a much broader field than many realize in the mainstream. We are going to be a force in the medical community in the coming years. Our need in multiple venues is beginning to show now, so in 10 years athletic trainers are going to be in short supply and high demand, which is a good place to be when looking at an emerging career.”
Dr. Lawler has achieved impressive professional milestones, but she won’t be stopping anytime soon. “RMUoHP and the faculty continue to fuel my fire and passion for athletic training and its future and how I will be a part of the evolvement of the profession in years to come,” she says.
For more information about the PhD program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, visit https://rm.edu/academics/doctor-of-philosophy-in-health-sciences/.
Guest blog by Stephanie Bentley, Alumni Relations Manager.
“Dream God-sized dreams; do not limit yourself to your current knowledge, your current surroundings, or your current situation.”
– Dr. Racheal Lawler,
RMUoHP Alumna
