When she was 8 years old, Cecilia Hinton wasn't thinking about becoming a physician. She was simply a young gymnast with an injured ankle. 

But repeated visits to her local sports medicine doctor in Columbia, Missouri, would shape the course of her life. 

Her younger sister was a competitive gymnast. Her brother played baseball. Before long, the family's physician knew them well, and he took the time to explain their various injuries. 

"After seeing [him] so many times, I just kind of fell in love with anatomy and physiology," Hinton said. "He would show me an ankle model and explain where I got hurt, how I got hurt and what was going on. I knew pretty early that sports medicine was something I was interested in." 

Although Hinton eventually traded gymnastics for cheerleading and track and field, her fascination with the human body never faded. 

She earned a degree in exercise science from Creighton University before attending Kansas City University, where she completed medical school. She then matched into the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Via Christi Family Medicine Residency and stayed an additional year to complete a sports medicine fellowship. 

"I loved it so much," Hinton said. 

Today, family medicine allows her to care for patients of all ages while sports medicine lets her continue exploring the anatomy, biomechanics and athletic competition that first captured her imagination as a child. 

A physician wherever she's needed 

After working with recruiters at the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center, Hinton joined PrairieStar Health Center in Hutchinson in 2021, bringing family and sports medicine expertise to a federally qualified health center and expanding access to care for patients in Reno County. 

Many of her patients face financial barriers to treatment. 

"A lot of my patients are waiting until they can afford knee surgery or waiting until they get insurance," Hinton said. "I've been really lucky to provide some interim care and opportunities to help people when they might not have had that opportunity before." 

Most weekdays are spent seeing patients in the clinic. Evenings and weekends often find her somewhere entirely different: on the sidelines of football games, inside gymnasiums or covering athletic events throughout the region. 

Recently, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce recognized those efforts by presenting Hinton with its Rising Star Award, honoring her leadership and community service. 

Amanda Beadle, athletic trainer at Hutchinson High School, nominated Hinton for the award. 

Beadle said Hinton consistently volunteers her time at Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson Community College, Sterling College and community sporting events. In addition to her sports medicine practice, Hinton also serves as the community's hospice medical director. 

Even with a demanding schedule, Beadle said Hinton is always looking for new ways to serve. 

"She's pretty amazing," Beadle said. 

Investing in young athletes 

For Beadle, Hinton's impact extends beyond treating injuries. 

Female physicians covering high school athletics remain uncommon, she said, making Hinton an important role model for young athletes. 

Beadle understands firsthand how influential a caring sports medicine professional can be. As a high school freshman volleyball player, she suffered a knee injury, and a patient athletic trainer took the time to explain what had happened. By age 15, she was learning how to tape ankles herself. 

Today, she watches Hinton inspire the next generation while often bringing her own young daughters to football games and track meets. 

Hinton also helps organize free sports physicals through PrairieStar Health Center, ensuring Reno County students aren't prevented from participating simply because they can't afford the required exam. 

"A lot of our younger athletes that may not be able to even afford to get a physical to play sports, we're able to help facilitate that," Hinton said. "If they have any interest in playing a sport at their school, we're going to do everything we can to help them." 

Building a healthier sports community 

One of Hinton's favorite parts of her job has been building relationships with athletic trainers, coaches, fellow physicians and PrairieStar staff. 

Those partnerships are now leading to broader improvements for student-athletes. 

Hinton is working with local athletic trainers, pediatricians and school coaches to establish a districtwide concussion protocol in Hutchinson. The goal is to ensure every student-athlete receives proper medical evaluation, follows evidence-based concussion guidelines and safely completes a return-to-play process before returning to competition. 

In addition to caring for local athletes, Hinton serves as an attending physician for USA Boxing and USA Gymnastics, occasionally traveling to events in Kansas City, Garden City and elsewhere across the region. 

A family built around sports 

Sports have remained a constant throughout Hinton's life. 

She met her husband, Skyler, while they were in high school. He later played Division I football at the University of Wyoming and now works as a Harvey County Sheriff’s deputy canine investigator. 

Hinton and her husband are raising two daughters, Graceyn, 5, and Rhyan, 1½. Graceyn enjoys T-ball, dance and riding bikes, and Hinton especially loves introducing her to gymnastics, the sport that first inspired her own career. At 1½, Rhyan is already happily tagging along for the family's many activities. 

And when the couple finds a little free time, they're often still surrounded by athletics — cheering from the stands at a Wichita Wind Surge game. 

For Hinton, the love of sports that began with a childhood ankle injury has grown into a career dedicated to helping others stay healthy, active and in the game. 

Stories like Hinton’s reflect the mission of the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center. For more than 20 years, the center has helped connect physicians and other healthcare professionals with rural and underserved Kansas communities, strengthening access to care across the state. Readers can learn more about available services on the center’s website.