Celebrating Women in Sport and Physical Activity - Profiles
Lorin Cartwright, '79 - 2015 Honoree
This is not how Lorin Cartwright, ’79, pictured her retirement.
In the two years since Cartwright retired as athletic director at Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School, she has helped assist Washtenaw Intermediate School District consolidate two school districts in addition to serving as board president for the Dispute Resolution Center; teaching at Eastern Michigan University; and volunteering for numerous organizations.
"I envisioned retirement as sitting back and relaxing," Cartwright said.
Cartwright was the first woman to graduate from Grand Valley with a degree in athletic training and physical education. This was after she convinced Doug Woods, retired head athletic trainer, to let her into the program.
Cartwright played basketball for the Lakers until her junior year when she was cut from the team. She lived with other players who all left each day at 3 p.m. for practice, leaving Cartwright alone. "I didn't know what to do in the afternoons, so I went to the training room and thought I would give athletic training a try," she said.
Woods was skeptical, Cartwright said, but showed her how to wrap an ankle. He gave her a half-hearted invitation to return after the holiday break if she was able to wrap ankles well. "My poor sister spent the entire Christmas break with her ankle propped up," she said.
Cartwright said Woods was one of her champions who has positively impacted her 32-year career that started in athletic training and shifted to serving as athletic director.
Another was Richard Ray Jr., now provost at Hope College. Ray served as president of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association and encouraged Cartwright to run for an office within the association. She did and later served as GLATA president, becoming the first woman and the first high school athletic trainer to do so.
Once at a conference, Ray introduced Cartwright to his book publisher. "He took me to the acquisitions editor who asked me what type of book ideas I had," she said.
Cartwright pitched an idea to him, and it was immediately accepted. She has since authored or co-authored seven books about the athletic training profession.
"Women can be great leaders, but never forget those who championed your cause," she said.
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