This weeks Campus Celebrity has a heart of gold and isn’t afraid to keep up with all those tough guys on the Western Men’s Rugby Team… YOU GO GIRL! Meet the awesome Brooke Rawlings.
Age: 21
Program: Kinesiology
Hometown: Sarnia
Relationship Status: Single
Tell me about your role with Western Rugby. How did you get involved with these sports teams?
I am one of the student trainers for the mens rugby team here at Western. When I was in second and third year I took athletic injuries courses and was able to learn about all kinds of cool injuries and the different assessments and treatments that go with them. From there I got to apply to the fourth year course which gives students the opportunity to work with a varsity team as their trainer for the season. I get to go to every practice and game and help the guys out with any injuries they have, which includes anything from stretching out their hamstrings to taping their ankles for support.
What is the best part about your program at Western?
Oh gosh, it’s hard to pick just one thing! The people are awesome, the free kin breakfast rocks and besides, what other program lets you do sports for marks?
Who is your favourite professor?
Dave Humphreys, hands down. He teaches both of the injuries courses I took to be a trainer and is also the prof for a course called “kin at work” that I am taking right now. I love that he genuinely cares for each of his students and is always willing to help you out with anything you need. Dave’s classes are funny, interesting, and full of material that I get to apply to the real world. His class are totally worth getting out of bed for… even when they are at 8:30.
What are the biggest misconceptions people have about jocks?
I guess a lot of the misconceptions about jocks come from what people see in movies. The movies can make jocks look arrogant and rude but the guys on the team have most definitely proved these stereotypes wrong!
What’s the most valuable thing working with team has taught you?
I honestly think I have learned more in the few months that I have spent working with the team than I have in most of my time at Western. Rugby is a rough sport so there are always a ton of new injuries that I get to see and learn about. But besides the injuries, being so busy with the team has also taught me how to manage my time better so that I can make sure I am still getting all my work done.
You have to travel a lot with the team – how do you find time to relax?
Although being with the team is actually part of a course, I have so much fun doing it that it doesn’t feel like school. I mean I am definitely a fan of laying in bed and watching Netflix once in a while but I would much rather be keeping busy at practice or learning more about their injuries in the clinic at Fowler.
Do the Rugby boys ever give you a hard time because you are a girl?
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little intimidated when I found out Men’s Rugby was the team I was assigned to. I had no clue what to expect but all the guys have been extremely nice and fun to hang around, they’ve made me feel a part of the team.
If you could give a few words of advice to anyone considering following in your footsteps at Western, what would they be?
If you are interested in being a trainer in fourth year you have to take both the second and third year athletic injuries courses. In the third year courses you will learn a ton of different tape jobs, assessments, and treatments that you will be tested on through a practical exam. My advice would be to dedicate all your time to practicing for these exams. It takes a lot of time and effort if you want to do well in the course but it is definitely worth it!
Who is your athletic role model?
I wish I could say I was athletic and had someone that I strived to be like but I am the furthest thing from an athlete. My sister is the athletic one in my family. She’s on the Women’s Lacrosse team here at Western so I guess I would pick her.
What is your favourite song right now?
I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite song but I cannot get hotline bling out of my head. The internet has blown up with memes since the music video came out and I think they are all hilarious!
Do you have any mottos that you live by?
There isn’t a motto that I follow in my everyday life but I have always loved “hakuna matata”.
What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?
Does sleep count?