Chris Walsh ’14
Chris Walsh had finished his enlistment with the United States Coast Guard and was unsure of his next step. Then his neighbor, a professor at the University of Mobile, helped him start a journey that would include national awards, a passion for his work, and a way to share his Christian faith.
Walsh graduated from the University of Mobile in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. (This bachelor’s degree program has transitioned into a Master of Athletic Training program in the School of Health and Sports Science that is enrolling its first class for summer 2021.) After graduation, Walsh became a grad assistant at the University of Idaho where, after earning a master’s degree, he received a full-time job.
Now head athletic trainer for the University of Idaho, Walsh put the skills he learned at UM to use during the coronavirus pandemic, making sure every student athlete was safe and helping slow the spread of COVID-19 throughout the athletics program. Because of his efforts, he was awarded Mueller Sports Medicine’s National Athletic Trainer of the Week for the last week of August 2020.
While working at the University of Idaho, Walsh realized that he was able to use what he learned at UM not just from an educational standpoint, but also from a spiritual one.
“I’m in the healthcare setting so, by nature, we’re here to help and serve people, which is what we’re called to do as Christians,” Walsh said. “I get the opportunity to mentor students and athletes who are going through the same struggles that every other college student is going through, but they’re not at a small Christian institution.
“Being there for students and allowing them to connect and talk has become my role as a Christian. I just hope to be the light when there might not be much light.”
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