Ava Aquino – November 2024 Athlete of the Month
Ava Aquino,15 of Mansfield, first arrived at Elite in 2023 after suffering a knee injury that required reconstructive surgery. She began working with Elite’s Physical Therapy team, including Sports PTs Jane Haztikonstantis and Ben Godin, with the goal of returning to playing point guard for the Mansfield Hornets. Ava dealt with more than her fair share of adversity throughout the challenging, 492-day rehab process, but through it all she demonstrated the strong work ethic, determination, and fantastic sock collection that impressed all those who worked with her (especially Ben!). She was recently cleared to return to basketball and plans to return to the court this upcoming season.
When asked what she’s most proud of following her long rehab journey, Ava tells us, “I am really proud of all of the knowledge I have gained throughout my recovery process. I now know the importance of taking care of your body through strength training, stretching, proper diet, etc and look forward to incorporating these things into the rest of my basketball career and life!” As to what kept her motivated during the tough times, she says, “I really enjoyed going to PT each week because it helped me feel like an athlete even though I couldn’t compete and play my sport…Jane and Ben got me through it all during PT.”
In addition to Jane and Ben’s support and expertise, it was Ava’s commitment to her rehab process that made all the difference. One pearl
of wisdom she told herself during the tougher times was, “Trust the process over the progress,” which she says really helped her through her recovery. She defines a true athlete as “someone who is willing to put in the work no matter what…they need confidence and trust in themselves and their team…and GRIT!” When asked about advice for younger athletes, she “would encourage them to begin taking care of their body before, after and during their sport…in order to prevent injury and continue to be their best selves.”
The staff at Elite saw first hand Ava working hard to be her best self and get back to the sport she loved. From performing tough stretches to regain her range-of-motion to pushing a heavy sled (Ava’s favorite exercise!) to build her strength and power, Ava consistently put in the work each and every session. When asked about her favorite part of Elite, she says the staff at Elite “pushed me to work hard each and every day and helped me become so much stronger and healthier…Elite has helped me return to the sport that I love!”
With this strong work ethic, resilience, and commitment to constant improvement, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Ava both on and off the court. She tells us she hopes to one day study biomedical engineering in college with the potential goal of creating products that help athletes recover faster after surgeries. We can’t imagine a better goal for someone who’s lived through the rehab journey! We are proud to announce Ava Aquino as our Athlete of the Month for November, 2024!
Elite Sports Performance & Physical Therapy offers Sports Performance programs and Sports Physical Therapy at both our Foxboro and Stoughton locations. To learn more about our programs and services for athletes of all ages and sports and how YOU or an athlete in your family can become our NEXT Athlete of the Month, click HERE ! Our Winter Sports Performance Program kicks off on December 2nd so give us a call at 774-215-5401 (Foxboro) or 781-297-0979 (Stoughton) to learn more or sign up today!
