Kim O'Connell, who serves as the director of the athletic training program at New Mexico State University (NMSU), has been inducted into the New Mexico Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame.
O'Connell expressed the significance of this honor, highlighting the progress that women have made in a field that was previously dominated by men when she began her career according to New Mexico State University. “This recognition is deeply meaningful to me, especially as women have started to make inroads in the field that was very male dominated when I started,” she told the NMSU Newsroom.
This induction marks O'Connell as the third woman to ever receive this honor.
"It surprised me, I was definitely shocked,” said O’Connell.
After graduating from Deming High School, O'Connell originally planned to pursue a music major at NMSU, where she had received a music scholarship. However, her path took an unexpected turn when she sustained a shoulder injury while being a member of the Pride of New Mexico Marching Band at the university. This injury introduced her to the field of athletic training and sparked her interest in NMSU's athletic training program, according to NMSU.
“The person who did my rehab was actually a graduate of the program,” said O’Connell. “It was divine intervention.”
In 1994, O'Connell graduated from NMSU with a degree in athletic training education. Over the years, she has held various roles within the program, starting as an assistant director in 2002 and eventually becoming the program director in 2018. Throughout her tenure, she has mentored and educated over 150 athletic training program students, according to NMSU.
“We have a rich, beautiful history in athletic training here,” said O’Connell. “We were one of the first accredited undergraduate athletic training programs in the country, and one of the first curriculum programs. To have come full circle, from student to director, is really amazing.”
Additionally, NMSU announced that, on June 14, the commencement of the new master's program in athletic training took place.