Athletic Training Creates Opportunities for Christian Ministry
While athletic trainers are a common presence on sports sidelines across the United States, the profession remains largely undeveloped in Cameroon. Cedarville University Master of Athletic Training graduates are addressing that gap by partnering with Athletes in Action to expand sports medicine education and demonstrate how athletic training can support both health care and Christian ministry.
Helping Develop Athletic Training in Cameroon
Dr. Genna Fusco, assistant professor of athletic training and clinical education coordinator at Cedarville University, recently led Master of Athletic Training graduates to Yaoundé, Cameroon to serve with Athletes in Action, a ministry of Cru. The organization has developed a track and field club that competes throughout Africa while using athletes’ gifts and influence to share the gospel. As the ministry has grown, so has the need for trained sports medicine professionals capable of providing injury prevention, rehabilitation and athletic care.
Although athletic training is not yet recognized as an established profession in Cameroon, Athletes in Action hopes to equip and mentor future sports medicine professionals who can serve athletes and local communities through ministry.
During the trip, Athletes in Action hosted a sports medicine symposium at a local university at which Fusco and her students presented evidence-based rehabilitation techniques, injury prevention strategies and patient-centered care practices. They also met with health care professionals to discuss building athletic training education programs and creating long-term opportunities for the profession within Cameroon's developing health care system.
Fusco explained that athletic trainers can play a unique role beyond treating injuries. Through relationships built with athletes, they can provide physical care while also supporting athletes' mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Athletes in Action ultimately hopes future athletic trainers will also serve as team chaplains, combining sports medicine with discipleship and mentorship.
The opportunity grew out of Fusco’s longstanding involvement with Athletes in Action. She began as a summer intern and joined the ministry’s staff for two-and-a-half years after earning her master’s degree in kinesiology. After leaving the ministry’s staff, Fusco served as a volunteer with Athletes in Action until joining Cedarville University’s faculty in 2022. She served in a variety of settings, including missions and sports ministry opportunities through the Ultimate Training Camp in South Africa and a women’s soccer tour in Canada, where the team competed against universities and clubs throughout the country.
Cedarville Students Gain Global Sports Medicine Experience
As students expressed interest in using athletic training to serve internationally, Fusco began exploring opportunities to take them overseas.
“Ever since I started at Cedarville, students have asked me if the athletic training program would ever offer the chance to serve overseas,” said Fusco. “When I realized that there was an opportunity to serve with Athletes in Action, I knew I needed to take a group of students.”
Fusco said she hopes the experience strengthened her students’ desire to serve as they discovered how athletic training can become both a profession and a ministry.
“The sports world encompasses nearly everyone, and it won’t be going away,” said Fusco. “As athletic trainers, we have a unique opportunity to share the gospel and care for the spiritual health of our teams just as we care for their physical health. I see our profession as an avenue to share the gospel, to go places, to reach people and to disciple people.”
Graduate Discovers a Broader Vision for Athletic Training
Madelyn Coonan, who graduated from Cedarville's Master of Athletic Training program in 2026, said seeing the need for athletic trainers in Cameroon expanded her vision for the profession and reinforced how it can be used to serve others.
"I was reminded that to use athletic training as a ministry, you only need to remain faithful to what God is calling you to and to keep a kingdom mindset,” said Coonan. “Whether I'm on a missions trip or working at my job, my objective isn't going to change. I'll keep praying for my athletes and the people I work with, asking God to open doors for spiritual conversations, serving with humility and joyfulness and planting as many seeds as I can.”
Annual Cameroon Trip Could Expand Global Health Care Ministry
Fusco hopes the Cameroon trip will become an annual event for Cedarville’s athletic training program, allowing future students to help develop athletic training in an emerging global health care environment while gaining firsthand experience in international sports medicine, cross-cultural service and Christian ministry.
By investing in athletic training education in Cameroon, Cedarville University and Athletes in Action aim to strengthen sports medicine, improve athlete health and develop future leaders who can serve both their communities and the global church.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked?among the nation’s top five evangelical universities?in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at?cedarville.edu.