A Temple ISD athletic trainer is being recognized for her life saving actions, receiving the prestigious Excellence in Athletic Training Award from the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association (SWATA).
Windee Skrabanek was one of only three trainers to the receive the 2017 award, presented at the SWATA Honors & Awards Ceremony held earlier this month in San Marcos.
SWATA presents the Excellence in Athletic Training Award for situations where a person most likely would have died or their life would have been considerably altered had the athletic trainer not intervened by providing skilled medical care, rehabilitation, or assistance.
“Receiving this award is a true honor but the rewarding part is having the student still with us today. Seeing that smiling face each day is a reminder of how precious life is,” Skrabanek said.
In March 2016, when a Temple High School student athlete collapsed during track practice, Skrabanek sprang into action. Relying on her training and protocol she helped put in place at THS, and assisted by the Temple coaching staff and student athletic trainers, Skrabanek used an automated external defibrillator (AED) and CPR to revive and stabilize the student until paramedics arrived and took over.
She reflected, “I am appreciative of our coaching staff for all they did that day. They took action and followed the right steps in the situation. We are blessed by all the school and community support in Temple.”