(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson, middle, with her father Randy Johnson, left, and mother Stephanie Johnson.

Warren High School senior Marina Johnson has turned a long-time fascination with sports medicine into her future goal of helping other athletes recover from injuries.

The daughter of Randy and Stephanie Johnson of Marietta, she is enrolled in the sports medicine and exercise science program at the Washington County Career Center.

At the career center Johnson is a member of the student council, the National Technical Honor Society and is the recorder for her technical program.

Johnson became a member of the honor society because of her academic performance.

“I had a 3.8 grade point average, and I have to maintain a 3.8 average to stay in the honor society,” she said.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson with her sister Chloe Johnson.

Last year she was on the honor roll for the entire school year. She is also active on the varsity golf and softball teams at Warren.

“I have done pretty well,” she said. “I’ve been loaded with school work because of golf, but I managed to get it all done in the time needed.

“It hasn’t been very hard.”

Johnson said the sports medicine field has held her interest for a long time.

“I’ve wanted to go into physical therapy for a long time,” she said. “When I went there for sophomore visits, I was told sports medicine and exercise science was a great class to go into because it got closer to the physical therapy field.”

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson, right, with Cooper Laumann, left, and Lila Smith, center.

Johnson said she will earn her technician certification at the end of this academic year.

“I thought that was a good stepping stone,” she said.

Johnson added the field has always been fascinating for her.

“I’ve really been fascinated with working with athletes,” she said. “Because as an athlete myself I’ve always been kind of nosy when the athletic trainer goes on the field, so I’m watching and I’ve been fascinated with that type of work.”

Johnson said she plans to take advantage of an opportunity to learn more by shadowing someone in the field.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson waits for a hit during a Warren High School softball game last season.

“My mom has a couple of friends that work in an occupational therapist’s office or a physical therapy office and they seem to be more than welcome for me to come and shadow them sometime,” she said. “So I’m definitely going to take that opportunity.”

Johnson said she is most interested in working with athletes.

“That is what I look forward to the most,” she said. “I want to work with athletes in recovering from injury.”

She added she wasn’t looking to work with athletes in a certain sport or injury. As a student she has earned – or will soon earn – industry-recognized credentials or certifications for Automatic External Defibrillator, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, first aid, Stop the Bleed and Physical Therapy Technician Certification.

Through College Credit Plus, she will have high school and college credit for American national government, careers in health care, English composition, first aid-personal safety, health and fitness foundations, intro to exercise science, introduction to human diseases, introduction to nutrition, medical terminology, psychology, resistance training, and statistics.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson at bat for Warren Warriors softball team.

She is taking course offerings and learning skills for athletic injuries and prevention, exercise and athletic training, nutrition and wellness, and sports exercise psychology.

Johnson said they take classes on a variety of topics that shows the many facets in sports medicine and exercise science.

“Last year we had medical terminology and now we are covering nutrition,” she said. “Next semester I’ll be in introduction to human diseases and a class in statistics.”

Johnson said she never considered any other field at the career center after visiting the sports medicine and exercise science program during her sophomore year. Although she is full-time at the career center, she is considered a student at Warren High School and is active in Warren’s sports program.

“I just finished my senior year in golf and I will be going into my softball season,” she said.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson throwing to home for the Warren Warriors.

Johnson said her plans for the near future include going on to earn an associate in science degree.

“I’ve been talking to Hocking College about their degree program and I want to further my softball career as well,” she said. “I hope to transfer to another school after those two years.”

After completing the program at Hocking College, she will be an Occupational Therapist Assistant.

“After that I hope to transfer to be a Physical Therapist Assistant and finish my last two years of softball,” she said.

Johnson, who currently works at Hensler’s Market, said she has not considered her goals after completing the assistant program at Hocking College. She said at this time she does not see herself taking in the medical field, such as a physician or nursing.

“When I graduate and working I hope to further my education as a physical therapist someday,” she said.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson, right, with Cooper Laumann, left, and Lila Smith, center.

(Photo Provided) Seniors on the Warren High School softball team are, from left, Lila Smith, Bralynn Bonnette, Marina Johnson and Emma Lang.

(Photo Provided) First team golf for the Warren Warriors featured, from left, Jillian Elliott, Marina Johnson, Denay Layton, Khoen Courson and Addie Willey.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson considers a put during a match.

(Photo Provided) Marina Johnson prepares to take a swing at a recent match.

(Photo Provided) Friends at a party, Ana Shutts, Lyla Nuzum, Marina Johnson, Hailey Metz, Chloe Johnson and Lila Smith.