For many of us, it’s easy to hesitate when offered new experiences or placed in new environments, even if it’s something we wanted. That feeling – the deer-in-headlights experience – is a fundamental part of being human, and one that could lead to missed opportunities. This was not the case for Assistant Professor Chelsey Meyers-Yost (Exercise Science). While many in her situation might have frozen, she jumped right in.
In July 2026, after five years of hard work and perseverance, Professor Meyers-Yost was invited to travel to Madrid, Spain, as the athletic trainer for USA Wrestling’s women’s team as they prepared to compete in the Grand Prix. Now that she’s returned, she’s ready to reflect on the trip, the choices that got her there, and what she plans to do next.
With over 10 years of experience as a certified and licensed athletic trainer in collegiate settings, including Division I football and wrestling, Division III sports, and industrial settings, Professor Meyers-Yost was well prepared for this trip. Still, her journey overseas was anything but straightforward.
“It was kind of a crazy story,” she remarked.
Over two years before her trip to Spain, Professor Meyers-Yost had heard about a cross-disciplinary program at YCP that included a trip to Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Developed and led by Dr. Molly Sauder, Dean of the Graham School of Business, and Dr. Kay McAdams, Associate Professor of History, this GCCI grant-funded program, which we covered in January 2025, advances students’ research skills through studies related to health and exercise science. Each student researches a topic of their choice, and while in Colorado Springs, uses the available professional Olympic and Paralympic athletic trainers as resources for their projects. Once completed, the students present their work at the Celebration of Sport event on the YCP campus.
For Professor Meyers-Yost, the trip to the training center would have been invaluable. Not only did she wish to serve as a resource and mentor for the students in attendance, but it would have also helped her work towards her own goal. Her hope was, and still is, to give students the opportunity to travel internationally to study healthcare.
“Whether it’s physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, training and conditioning…I want students to learn about healthcare overseas, so they can see the differences,” explained Professor Meyers-Yost.
As Drs. McAdams and Sauder prepared for the Spring 2025 trip with their 16 students. Professor Meyers-Yost pushed past her nerves and reached out to ask if she could join. The two welcomed her with open arms, and she accompanied them to Colorado Springs. While at the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, she met individuals who had worked with USA Wrestling. This meeting, while inconsequential at the time, ended up having a massive impact.
To accompany USA Wrestling to its competitions, athletic trainers are selected from a large pool. Professor Meyers-Yost has been in the pool for five years. The year after her trip to Colorado and acquaintanceship with USA Wrestling, she received the offer to accompany the organization to the Grand Prix in Madrid, Spain, where she would be the athletic trainer for the women’s team. There, the team will compete with others from all around the globe.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime and one she attributed to her time in Colorado. “It was great to go to [Colorado Springs],” expressed Professor Meyers-Yost. “Not only to make a good relationship with the students, Dr. McAdams, and Dr. Sauder, but to experience the Olympic Training Center and meet different people. I think that with the bond I had created with them, I had the opportunity to get selected.”
The trip overseas was an entirely new experience for the professor. Not only was it her first trip as York College faculty, but it was her first time traveling outside of the country for work. Of course, there was also the issue of language. “It was very difficult for me, as I speak very minimal Spanish,” the professor shared. Even with the language barrier, she was happy to be invited into the country. “We were very welcomed over there.”
The athletes she worked with were also instrumental in making her time there a positive experience. From the start, Professor Meyers-Yost felt like she had known them a lifetime. “The athletes were amazing. It was great to gain a relationship and their trust so quickly,” she remarked. “They made me feel like I was family the second I met them. They’re very kind people…with so much talent.”
When the Grand Prix concluded, the USA women’s team had won 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals. The team took 2nd place out of all teams, just behind Canada.
This Fall, Professor Meyers-Yost returns to York College, ready to start her second year. Looking back, one of her biggest takeaways was how much the result was of one simple decision: reaching out to her fellow professors. Her relationships with the students she mentored, friendships with Drs. Sauder and McAdams, and her trip abroad, all stemmed from taking a chance.. “I’m a new faculty member. I’m going into my second year, so I was a little nervous reaching out to someone who’s been tenured here,” she admitted. “I gained some really great relationships from Colorado Springs. I feel like [Drs. Sauder and McAdams] have been mentors to me, which has been really awesome as a new faculty member.”
When asked if she had any words for her fellow faculty, her advice was simple. “Don’t be afraid to jump on an opportunity. Just go for it.”
Looking ahead, Professor Meyers-Yost plans to apply what she learned from her experiences in Colorado Springs and Spain to create an international trip for health sciences students. After all, that goal is what set her on the path to Spain in the first place. Her willingness to reach out, make new connections, and dedication to students will most certainly help her make this plan a reality.
