Emily Purgason, Frederick February Athlete of The Month

"My name is Emily Purgason and I am a senior at Linganore High School. During my time at LHS, I have been a member of the soccer team, a leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the secretary for both the Math Honor Society and the Business Honor Society. I also play club soccer for Baltimore Celtic’s Girls Academy team. This fall, I plan to attend Houghton University in upstate New York to major in mathematics and play Division III soccer. In the summer of 2019 I decided that I wanted to start getting stronger and reduce the chance of typical female soccer injuries. After learning about PFP from some close friends, I believed PFP was the perfect place to accomplish these goals. I was right. The atmosphere at PFP is unlike anything I have ever experienced. As a Christian, I am constantly encouraged by the Bible verses posted around the gym. My faith is very important to me, so training in a gym founded on Biblical principles is awesome. I love how positive and encouraging the entire staff is. I started off working with Erik and Ben and I loved their enthusiasm. They always had great energy and a genuine interest in me as a person. The last couple of years, I have been blessed to be working with Coach Emily. When I switched soccer clubs a couple years ago, I quickly realized how fast, strong and athletic the girls are in that league. Coach Emily has helped me to get stronger and more explosive to be able to compete at a higher level. She constantly pushes me beyond my comfort zone and encourages me to reach new PR’s in the gym. In addition to supporting my physical growth, Coach Emily has helped me with my confidence and mental state. I have experienced some adversity within soccer in the last couple of years. Throughout the many changes and uncertainties I experienced, PFP is one of the few things that has remained constant. PFP is a place that I know I can count on and will always be in my corner. This summer I look forward to working with Erik again as I was recently hired to be an FCA intern. I plan to approach my summer internship with the same enthusiasm and commitment that the staff at PFP live out each day. I also can’t wait to join the college athlete training groups at PFP:)". - Emily