ELON, N.C. - Getting to play Division I college tennis is one experience, getting to be a part of the Elon University women's tennis team is another great experience, but getting to continue with the sport that you love at the highest level after college, that is the experience of a lifetime.
 
Paige Kensrue '10, an Elon women's tennis alumni, now works with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) as a Primary Health Care Provider on the WTA Tour. She took some time to answer a few questions about her experience, how she got a job into the WTA, and how her experience at Elon has helped her in her career.
 
Question: What is your job title and what is a typical day like for you working with the WTA?
 
Answer: "My job title officially is Primary Health Care Provider for the WTA Tour. There are two sides to my job, being on the road at tournaments and then working in the office at the WTA headquarters when I am not at tournaments. When working a tournament, we get to the courts a couple hours before play starts to prepare for the day and for the athletes that are playing that day. We then work in the training room while play is going on, preparing athletes for matches, providing treatment, helping with recovery or working with them in the gym with their rehab. During the day we also are the ones who respond to any injuries or health emergencies on court. Each day can look drastically different! When I am back in the office, I contribute to the development and coordination of our sport science and medicine department programs we have designed to service the athletes. Currently I work with our research and development program within sports science and medicine. When at a tournament, usually a day can last from about 8 or 9 a.m. to as late as 2 a.m. sometimes. Back at the office, it's a 9-5 job, which provides good balance."
 
Question: How did you get involved working with the WTA?
 
Answer: "It is actually a very funny story! I was finishing my final rotation in Raleigh while in physical therapy school, when I was able to work with a WTA athlete. We got to talking about my plans after graduation and that I played tennis, and she thought I should talk to someone in the sports medicine department at the WTA. So she called her right then and there in the clinic and I talked to one of the department heads for a few minutes and sent my resume. I was young and not quite ready for such a huge position, but almost 2 and a half years later I received an email from the same person I had talked to saying that there were positions available and wanted to see what I had been doing and if I was interested. The rest is history!"
 
Question: What is the most interesting place or tournament you have traveled to and why?

Answer: "There is so much to learn from all of the places we travel to and all of the different cultures we encounter. I think so far, the most interesting place has been China because it is so vastly different from the US and American culture. Also, the architecture is so cool! Being at Wimbledon was extremely special, especially as someone who grew up watching matches played there. I sat court-side at a women's match on Centre Court at Wimbledon and had to pinch myself a number of times!"
 
 
Question: You get to work with the top tennis players in the world. Are there any particular memories and/or moments that stand out?
 
Answer: "I have to pick just one? One moment that stands out was actually during my interview at the US Open last year. I was sitting down going through some interview questions with one of the department heads, when I saw Serena Williams walk into the locker room. It was the first time that I had seen her that close. I was asked a question, and I couldn't answer for about 30 seconds because I was just staring! Since then, I think it continually amazes me that now these incredible athletes know me by name, we share stories about our families, and I show them pictures of my dog. It's a family on the road, both with my work colleagues and with the athletes."
 
Question: What is it that you enjoy the most about working with the WTA?

Answer: "Again, I have to pick just one thing? I could honestly go on and on, but the one thing I enjoy the most is the constant challenge and motivation to be better. I am surrounded by incredible clinicians and athletes from all over the world, both whom inspire me to continue learning and to be the best physical therapist I can be. Having an environment like that can be rare, and I am so thankful for that here with the WTA."
 
Question: Who have been some of your biggest mentors throughout your professional work career?

Answer: "One of the things I loved about Elon were the relationships you are able to form with professors because of the small class sizes and opportunities for research projects, etc. Dr. Bixby was my honors thesis mentor while at Elon. He was incredibly helpful and supportive of my dream, and always encouraged me to do more and to never be satisfied with the status quo. My professors in physical therapy school at UNC were also incredibly supportive and motivating, and helped me pursue the world of sports medicine. I then was able to complete a sports medicine physical therapy residency in Greenville, SC where I had a host of mentors who helped to really shape my approach to treating athletes and getting them back to doing what they love. Ellen Shanley, who I worked with a lot in Greenville, is still someone I go to for both professional and personal advice! In this world, professional relationships mean everything and I am so incredibly grateful for all of the people I have been able to meet so far. Too many to name here!"

Question: How did being a student-athlete at Elon help prepare you for your current job after college?

Answer: "Being a student-athlete at any level at any university teaches you so much about life, both personally and professionally. Elon does an incredible job of supporting its student-athletes and encouraging them to be their best not only in sport, but in everything they pursue. I think one of the valuable lessons I learned while at Elon was teamwork. Growing up as a tennis player, it is an individual sport, but you get to college and are part of a team and you can't win without each other which makes it a very special environment. There is also an incredible amount of balance that has to be there in order to be successful. You have to balance your athletic life (basically your job at the time), your personal life and your academic life. Starting to learn how to balance and juggle all of those things while in college has been extremely valuable and has prepared me to be maybe just a little bit better about it in real life."