Chris DeVault may be away from the area, but surely knew how to represent Elizabethton with positive marks.
The native of Cyclone Country recently was announced as one of the finalists for the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s athletic trainer of the year award during the month of June.
It was an announcement that came out of the blue, according to DeVault — a head athletic trainer for Georgetown County high schools in South Carolina.
“It was actually one of our school athletic trainers, Jim Berry, who nominated me,” DeVault said. “It took me by surprise.”
DeVault went on to describe what the credentials were to be nominated. Along with work in the school system as a trainer, National Strength and Conditioning Association looked at what each athlete does within their community.
After receiving the letter in May, DeVault learned of his accolade the second week of June.
“I know it sounds cliche, I don’t do my job for awards … but I was tickled to death,” DeVault said with a laugh.
DeVault has lived in Georgetown County for 11 years and works out of Tidelands Health, which provides the athletic trainers for the Georgetown County School District.
The Elizabethton native credited the work of the school’s superintendent, along with health officials in the area, for working to implement a heat policy for student athletes.
“On days when it’s over 104 degrees, we don’t go outside,” DeVault said.
Georgetown County saw their head trainer’s work not go unnoticed with the district receiving the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award in 2015.
“We have an athletic trainer in each school in our district,” DeVault added.
While DeVault, a graduate of Elizabethton High School, resides in South Carolina, he credited his time in Elizabethton to prepare him for what he is able to accomplish.
“I had a lot of book learning coming out of college, but it was the on-the-job training with Danny Smith that really prepared me,” he said. “Without that, I wouldn’t be able to do what I can today.”
DeVault stays active within the school system with his current position but it is the missions inside the county that make him an asset to Georgetown County, including a Toys-For-Tots program he started in honor of his uncle.
“I grew up with a mentally disabled uncle, and he really meant a lot to me,” DeVault said. “It was because of him we started up the program. It was in his honor and to help the community. We live in one of the state’s top impoverished counties … and we organized this event to give back.”