Brownwood resident Sammie Courington credits physical therapy for enabling him to continue to compete in a sport that has been a mainstay in his life – tennis. Courington has undergone two knee replacements, two hip replacements and most recently a shoulder replacement. With the help of his therapists at Hendrick Outpatient Rehabilitation in Brownwood, Courington traveled a long and challenging journey back to good health. And when he was recently named the No. 1 seed in tennis for his age bracket by the Unites States Tennis Association (National Tennis Rating Program), he gave credit to physical therapy and to his therapists.

And that’s why it was no surprise when Courington presented Sara Young, a physical therapist at Hendrick Outpatient Rehabilitation Brownwood, the gold medal he earned at his first competitive tennis tournament following his shoulder replacement surgery.

“What an honor to be able to help the recently ranked No. 1 seed in age 55-plus by the United States Tennis Association do what he does,” said Young.

A former Brownwood High School tennis coach, Courington is a member of the Texas Tennis Coach’s Association Hall of Fame and the Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Hall of Fame. Additional accolades include the 1992 Class 4A Coach of the Year and 1994 Junior High Coach of the Year. He continues to volunteer at Howard Payne University as a tennis coach.

For therapy services, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to Hendrick Outpatient Rehabilitation, 101 Streckert Drive in Brownwood, or visit hendrickhealth.org/rehab for more information.