The Sports Medicine department at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center named Tre Hawkins, a senior triple athlete at Athens Academy, Athlete of the Month. Each month, the program gives an award to a student athlete who has shown perseverance while dealing with an injury or illness.

Following his junior year of football, Hawkins underwent surgery to repair a meniscus injury. Following surgery, he was non-weight bearing for two weeks due to slight micro-fracturing and then began rehabilitation. During the next six to 12 weeks, he progressed into running drills and was cleared with caution.

"Tre has shown incredible commitment by improving and getting better following several ups and downs during his recovery," said Eleni Petrou, a Piedmont Athens Regional Orthopedic Sports Medicine athletic trainer who works with athletes at Athens Academy. "He approached his rehab with a positive attitude and did not give up."

The meniscus is a flexible, supportive cartilage in the knee that can tear if it gets hurt. A torn meniscus may cause pain and swelling in the knee and limit mobility. An orthopedic specialist may recommend a meniscectomy, a surgical procedure in which the meniscus is completely or partially removed. Following surgery, patients use rehabilitation to strengthen the knee and regain range of motion.

"In the first game of his senior season, his first game back from surgery, his leg got caught up under him and he was unable to return to the game," said Petrou. "While the situation was not ideal, as we were hoping for an injury-free season, Tre did not give up and worked even harder, showing tremendous dedication and commitment to returning to finish his last season, which he did. He went on to play basketball in the winter and will participate in track and field this spring."

The Piedmont Athens Regional Orthopedic Sports Medicine team established the Athlete of the Month program to recognize the dedication of student athletes in the area.

"The athletes we work with are truly amazing and have to overcome so much in order to play sports again after an injury or illness," said Katie Terrell, athletic trainer and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s sports medicine program. "The award was developed to celebrate their hard work in our sports medicine rehab program. Each month, we focus on one high school and meet as a committee, which includes the school’s athletic director, other members of their team, and members of the athletic training program."

As the Athlete of the Month, Hawkins received a certificate and is featured in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine facility located on Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus in Watkinsville, Ga.

For more information about services offered by Piedmont Physicians Orthopedic Sports Medicine of Athens, visit piedmont.org/AthensOrthoSportsMed.