Martinho, Piper, & Rader’s Road to Recovery

DURHAM, N.C.-- Duke women's soccer is coming off a successful 2024 season, boasting a record of 18-3-1 and reaching both the ACC Championship semifinals and the NCAA College Cup. Yet high-level success doesn't come without its challenges and some of our Blue Devils had it tougher this season than most – but in true Blue Devil spirit, have demonstrated their bravery and resilience throughout it all.

Redshirt-freshman Lauren Martinho, redshirt-junior Elle Piper and junior Kat Rader all experienced their first serious and devastatingly season-ending injuries this past year. Martinho tore her ACL in May of 2024, while Piper and Rader suffered lower-body injuries very early-on in the fall season.

The physical and mental toll an athlete endures from experiencing a severe injury and the long recovery process that follows is unfathomable. However, Martinho, Piper, and Rader's
response and approach to their recovery process speaks volumes.
Kat Rader

"For some reason, once I got injured, I just decided to really embrace what I was going through," said Rader. "I had a very positive outlook and I think that really helped me with my recovery."

The student-athletes began treating physical therapy as their form of practice. With the help of Duke's staff – especially Drew Lukes, physical therapist and head of sports science for women's soccer – physical therapy became something they looked forward to every day.

"Being able to work with Drew on a day-to-day basis has made my not-so-smooth recovery more smooth," said Martinho. "His knowledge and ability to make physical therapy something to look forward to and an opportunity to get better – rather than something to dread – has helped me take my recovery process one day at a time."

For Lukes, working with the trio has been a great experience given their work ethic throughout their recovery.

"I know for all of them, it was a very challenging year – mentally, physically, emotionally – so to see how each one of them has responded in a way that, from a physical therapy standpoint and from someone who's implementing their rehab, I could not ask for a better group," commented Lukes on the group's work in physical therapy. "They worked hard, and they did everything I asked them to do. They trusted the process."

Outside of their physical therapy sessions, the trio received endless support between each other and their team. For Martinho, transitioning from high school to college during her recovery process was made that much better by her fellow Blue Devils.

"My teammates did such a good job in getting me integrated quickly," said Martinho. "I really started building connections with them right when I got onto campus. So many of them reached out to me just for support and were always checking in on me."

While they would never wish for their fellow teammates to be injured with them, the trio found solace in each other and gratitude that they weren't alone in their experiences.

"When you have other people in the same boat as you, it makes it a lot easier," said Rader. "You don't feel as isolated or alone going through such a hard thing like a season-ending injury."

"Me and Lauren [Martinho] are on the same timing right now, so it's been nice to have a buddy to do everything with," added Piper. "Someone who actually understands what it's like to hurt their knee and have everything taken from them – everything that you prepare for, it's just taken from you within a second. She was definitely going through similar things that I felt so it was nice to lean on each other."
Lauren Martinho

Martinho has also had someone else even closer to her to lean on during her recovery journey: her 16-year-old sister also tore her ACL playing soccer 10 days before Martinho's tear.

"My sister has been a particularly important person in being someone close to me that I can lean on and talk to," said Martinho. "We're very similar on our timelines in our ACL recovery, so it's brought us closer together in a weird way because what we've gone through is similar."

Despite having to stay on the sideline during practice and games, Martinho, Piper and Rader stepped into their new roles in stride, becoming voices of encouragement and feedback for their teammates. Seeing the game from a new perspective even helped develop their own personal soccer IQs, from learning the team's new formation this season to understanding game tactics at a higher level.

"Being on the sideline has reinforced my confidence and knowledge in the game," commented Martinho. "In the sense that I read the game very well and I feel like I have a good soccer I.Q."

In terms of the trio's progress, Rader received the green flag for her return to play about two months ago. While she's felt that she needed to give herself some grace as she readjusts to playing again, Rader has expressed the excitement she feels to play under her new head coach Kieran Hall next fall.

"Kieran [Hall] has been a massive support throughout my recovery. Even now that I'm back on the field, he's very encouraging and helping me with things to work on and getting my confidence back," said Rader. "I'm very excited to play under him this season."

While Martinho and Piper are still working through the last few months of their recovery process, they have their sights set on the next season as well.

"I think we have more to give and there's so much more for us in store," said Piper. "And I can't wait, we have so many new additions to our team and I think our team is only going to get stronger from here to the fall."
Elle Piper

On top of their excitement for the season, the trio's recovery has served as fuel for an even greater passion for their sport than before.

"This process has made me realize how soccer is a big part of my identity," admitted Martinho. "Navigating life without soccer has been hard, but it's given me a lot of perspective and motivated me to come back as a better player and remember why I play."

Martinho, Piper, and Rader have exhibited so much strength and determination during their recovery: and their hard work will absolutely pay off.

"I think the biggest thing for me is that whoever reads this article knows that those girls are not back on the field and playing the level they're at by chance," said Lukes. "It's never a guarantee when someone has a season ending injury that they'll be back. And those three were phenomenal. They did anything and everything that we asked them to do and so they put the work in to put themselves in a position to be where they are."

The trio will surely return this season to the Blue Devil squad stronger than ever. The Duke community can't wait to see what's in store for them and the rest of women's soccer as they look forward to an exciting 2025 campaign.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWSOC".

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