VCOM View Magazine Vol. 13 | No. 1

From Oklahoma to the Olympics

Dr. Stephanie Aldret’s Journey to Becoming a Team Physician for Team USA Gymnastics-Trampolinists By Danielle Voumard

F or Stephanie Aldret, DO, FAOASM, VCOM Louisiana’s discipline chair for family medicine and sports medicine, the journey to becoming a physician for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Trampoline Team is a testament to her passion for sports, health and human performance. Growing up in Oklahoma, where her family managed a travel agency responsible for the University of Oklahoma’s football travel, Dr. Aldret was no stranger to the world of sports. “I grew up going on business trips to the Orange Bowl for college football,” she recalls. With her love of football, she found her niche as a cheerleader, always on the sidelines and intrigued by human performance, movement and health.

Her journey took a pivotal turn during a high school football game when a classmate suffered a severe ankle injury. “At that point, I decided I wanted to be the person that would run out on the field and take care of the athletes and get them back to the game,” she shares. This incident ignited her desire to become an athletic trainer, a dream she pursued with unwavering determination. While attending OU, a chance encounter with an athletic trainer during a women’s basketball game set her on the path to achieving her goal. “I left cheerleading and pursued athletic training in an internship pathway,” she explains. Her assignments with football, cross country and track and field teams exposed her to the crucial role of medical

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