Sports and wellness have always been passions for Dr. Julie Guempel Rosania ’09, who is a lifelong athlete, a coach, and a physical therapist. The lessons that the MBS Hall of Famer has learned on the playing field have become touchstones in her daily life, and she frequently passes along the message that hard work, patience, and consistency will yield positive results.

“We live in a time where we seek instant gratification. However, I’ve learned through athletics that the amount of effort you put into each practice or game—or in my profession, each session of PT—is what you get out in the end,” she said. “So, whether that is winning a championship game or relearning how to run after an ACL injury, you must put in the effort to achieve the results you want. This is a lesson I instill in my patients every day.”

Rosania was a “lifer” at MBS and participated in an array of sports from Middle School through Upper School. She was a four-year varsity starter and a senior captain of the field hockey team that captured the Prep B championship in fall 2008. Along the way, she earned a host of accolades including Most Improved Player, Coaches Award, Sportsmanship Award, and Offensive MVP.

An avid runner, Rosania also earned four varsity letters with the track & field team and was named captain in her senior year. During her time at MBS, she held four School records—in the 100-meters, 200-meters, 4x400-meters, and the triple jump. She also captured three Morris County titles—the 100-meters, 200-meters, and 4x100 meter relay—and became the first female runner to win a county title for the Crimson since 1983.

She says her fondest memories didn’t involve meets or games, but rather, daily practices with her teammates. “I loved pre-season for both sports,” she said. “It was a way for everyone to reconnect, meet the incoming freshmen or transfer students, and bond as a unit.”

In the classroom, she took a Sports Medicine class at MBS during her junior year which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in the healthcare field. “From there, I was able to shadow physical therapists in a variety of settings and decided this was the career path I wanted to pursue,” she said.

After MBS, Rosania enrolled at Bucknell University, where she was a member of the track & field team and was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll as well as being on the Dean’s List. She later received her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University, an accomplishment that she considers to be among her proudest moments.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in the medical community to help those in need,” she said. “Physical therapy allows me to have a voice and to be an advocate within the medical community.” p>Rosania continues to stay active with athletics, running and racing whenever she can. “I recently completed a Half Ironman race which consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run,” she said. “I still consider myself a sprinter even though I’ve completed over a dozen half marathons and marathons, so completing a Half Ironman was a big achievement for me.”

She says she’s always been a firm believer in taking a chance, trying something new, and reaching for greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to take chances or risks for fear of failure,” she said. “You will not know if you can succeed at something until you try, and often the best lessons learned are from those who take a leap of faith into the unknown.”