Celebrating young sports stars: AdventHealth features local high school athletes in special campaign

For Mckenzie Coody, a love of golf started six years ago. A recent graduate of DeLand High School, Coody has her sights set on competing at the next level in amateur tournaments across the country while pursuing her higher education at Daytona State College.

Among the area’s rising stars in the world of sports, Coody is one of five Volusia and Flagler County student athletes AdventHealth has showcased in recent marketing campaigns. These billboards and marketing materials celebrate the hospital system’s longstanding relationship with the local school districts and its dedication to keeping student athletes at the top of their game by providing athletic trainers to Volusia and Flagler high schools and free sports physicals.

When the campaign first launched in the fall of 2023, it focused on AdventHealth’s orthopedic care and national recognitions of excellence.

In the newest evolution of the campaign, AdventHealth celebrates the people of West Volusia who make the Deltona, DeLand, and surrounding communities special.

“AdventHealth has played a central role in caring for, supporting, and cheering on individuals who call our community home for many decades,” said Lorenzo Brown, president and CEO of the AdventHealth West Volusia market and AdventHealth Fish Memorial. “This year, as we mark the 30^th anniversary of AdventHealth Fish Memorial, I couldn’t think of a better way to help celebrate the occasion than spotlighting these incredible student athletes and our amazing team members who call West Volusia County home.”

Joining Coody in the new campaign is William Martinez, a recent graduate of Deltona High School. A rising sports star in his own right, Martinez played center field for the school’s varsity baseball team and will play college baseball this fall at Bryant and Stratton College, an NCAA Division II school in Virginia Beach, Va., while pursuing his education in cybersecurity.

“Born and raised in Deltona, I’ve been playing baseball here all my life,” Martinez shared. “It gets my heart going every time I see the ball leave my bat. I love that feeling. I get the same feeling when I see myself around town on billboards and other places – it’s special and I feel very honored!”

As the Official Healthcare Champion for Volusia County Schools since 2018, AdventHealth has provided over 4,000 free sports physicals to area students. As part of the annual screening events hosted at the Daytona International Speedway, AdventHealth also goes above and beyond state or county requirements and performs special screenings, known as ECGs or EKGs, to look for abnormal heart rhythms.

Just this year, AdventHealth performed more than 1,100 free sports physicals for Volusia County Schools students, and of those who elected to receive a free ECG, four needed immediate follow-up care, potentially saving the lives of these local teenagers.