Background
My name is Garrett Jacob and I am from Jasper, Indiana. Growing up in a small town I was taught very many valuable lessons and morals that make me the person I am today. I was engulfed by a hardworking family and community that always lived by the quote "You get what you work for". I watched and learned from the people that surrounded me that there is no substitute for hard work and it will always pay off.
Personal Experiences
My most valuable personal experiences that molded me were the hardest times in my life. Many of these setbacks were sport-related and pushed my mentality to its absolute limits.
My two biggest setbacks and most difficult times in my life were the injuries that I endured in football. The first one came when I was a freshman and I broke the bottom part of my fibula and some tarsal bones. I had to go through surgery and therapy for months. This was my first introduction to the occupation of a physical therapist. After I was done with therapy I was forced to make a difficult decision of whether or not I would play football again. Since I had a passion and love for the game I went back and played the rest of the three years in high school. Towards the end of my senior year, I was returning a punt down the sideline when a defender side-swiped my knee forcing it to bend inwards. As you are well aware, the knee is not meant to bend that way. The result was catastrophic for me. I tore my MCL, ACL, and meniscus. Not only was this an excruciating injury that will alter the rest of my life, but it cut my football career short too. I underwent a patellar graft surgery to replace my ACL and had a long recovery process with physical therapy. This was when I was fully introduced into what physical therapy actually is. It showed me the intelligence, compassion, and care that the workers in this field have and express to their patients. It made me want to know what they do and how they do it . additionally, to help others by educating them and assisting them with their rehabilitation and functional restrictions.
My Mentors
-My head football coach/ strength and conditioning teacher- Tony Ahrens.
This man is one of the most positively influential people that has been in my life. He not only showed me, but lead me into what hard work was through stories, experiences, and teaching. He grew up in a very difficult home life and used football as his escape from it all. He showed me that hard work, perseverance, and compassion will get you where you need to be in life.
-My other personal mentors are people in my family that have showed me what life truly is all about. One of these people would be my grandpa, who at 77 years old, still works with his sons in construction jobs and other hard, labor-demanding occupations. Other positive influences would include my parents and grandparents who exemplify caring and compassionate traits in their everyday lives.
