A painful play, a trusted care team and a catcher's comeback

“I feel like I was never injured. I actually feel beyond where I was.”

Emma Hartung still remembers the play.

Competing in a summer softball tournament in Missouri, the Trinity Preparatory School catcher dove headfirst as she tried to steal second base. She got up, finished the inning and thought little of it. But moments later, as she sprinted out of the batter's box, everything changed.

“I made it three steps before I physically couldn't run," Hartung said. “I felt like my leg was detached.”

The diagnosis that followed confirmed her fears: a complete tear of her posterior cruciate ligament or PCL.

For many high school athletes, that injury would have meant months of uncertainty. In Hartung’s case, it threatened something she had worked toward since discovering softball just six years earlier: the opportunity to play at the next level in college.

“I just wanted to be back catching and back on the field,” she said. “If I couldn't catch anymore, I was fine playing another position. I just wanted to play.”

That determination became the foundation of a recovery built on trust, teamwork and a shared goal.

Dr. Michelle Mullins is a sports medicine physician with Rothman Orthopaedics at AdventHealth.

She is part of a unique program in which Rothman physicians partner with local high school sports teams to work directly with athletes.

After meeting with Mullins, Hartung and her family chose to not rush into surgery.

Instead, they began a series of thoughtful conversations centered on one question: What would give Emma the best chance to safely return to the sport she loves?

“We had a really good conversation about what her goals were and what her timeline was,” Mullins said. “Every athlete is different. It came down to shared decision-making with Emma and her parents, understanding all of the options and what each path could look like.”

Because Hartung hoped to continue playing competitively and was being recruited to play college softball, every decision mattered.

While it remained an option, Mullins suggested a rehab program that would allow Hartung to avoid surgery, provided she stayed closely engaged with her care team and continued to progress.

The collaboration began immediately.

Advanced imaging confirmed the injury, physical therapy started quickly, eventually followed by work with AdventHealth's innovative SportsPFX program.

Mullins remained in close communication with Hartung's therapists to monitor every milestone. If her recovery stalled, the team was prepared to adjust the plan.

Instead, Hartung continued moving forward.

She attended physical therapy multiple times each week, gradually rebuilding strength, confidence and stability.

“I formed relationships with so many of the physical therapists because I was there so much,” Hartung said. “Everyone was on my side. I felt loved, supported and seen.”

More than simply guiding exercises, the team helped Hartung understand why every movement mattered.

“One person would help me warm up, another would work on treatment and another would talk me through everything mentally,” she said. “They helped me slow down and understand why every exercise was important.”

That mindset became just as important as the physical work.

“I was definitely scared,” Hartung said. “I didn't want surgery. I just wanted to be back.”

Mullins remembers Hartung as someone who communicated openly, trusted the process and committed fully to every step.

“She was really clear about her goals, and you could trust that she was going to give you good feedback on how she was progressing,” Mullins said. “She put in all the hard work. We're really proud of her.”

As Hartung progressed through rehabilitation, she transitioned into AdventHealth’s SportsPFX program, where the focus expanded beyond healing an injury to preparing for the demands of competitive softball.

Russell Gaither, general manager of AdventHealth SportsPFX, says many injured athletes arrive carrying more than physical pain.

“The first thing most athletes experience is fear,” he said. “Where is my dream going to go? Will I ever be the athlete I once was?”

That's why recovery at SportsPFX extends beyond strength training.

“We can't just look at it as something physiological that needs to be fixed,” Gaither said. “We have to care for the emotional, physical and even spiritual parts of the athlete. That's whole-person care.”

For Hartung, that transition felt seamless.

She completed physical therapy on a Monday. By Wednesday, she was training alongside healthy athletes preparing for competition.

“They set me up so well,” she said. “I fit right in.”

Today, Hartung says she feels stronger than she did before the injury.

“I feel like I was never injured,” she said. “I actually feel beyond where I was.”

The experience also changed how she thinks about training.

She now places even greater value on strength training and conditioning, knowing the work she does off the field can help protect her on it.

This fall, Hartung will take the field for the University of Connecticut, where she has committed to continue her softball career while studying psychology.

Looking back, she sees the injury differently than she did in those difficult first weeks.

“I felt like my injury came at the worst time possible,” she said. “(But) everything happens for a reason. It helped me slow down and taught me that your injury doesn't define you. You're going to come back stronger.”

For Mullins, seeing Hartung reach her goal is the best part of the journey.

“I'm just really happy for her,” she said. “She did the work, and it's exciting to see her move on to the next chapter.”

And for Gaither, Hartung's story represents exactly why AdventHealth and Rothman Orthopaedics continues investing in athletes long before and long after an injury occurs.

“I usually tell my staff that we are dream makers,” he said. “We want athletes to live out their dreams. Our job is to come alongside them, help them believe in themselves, believe in the process and give them every opportunity to succeed for a lifetime -- not just one season.”