Both Monssi Avila-Gutierrez and Bryn Radvanski learned about physical therapy at a very young age. I mean we're talking very young age.

Monssi was born with leg problems that kept her from walking normally until she was five or six. Bryn, on the other hand, was unable to move her arms at birth. But through hard work and determination they both have overcome the early obstacles and became standouts on the Winthrop women's soccer team.

"It was a weakness in my bones," Monssi explained after a recent practice. "I could walk but it wasn't a normal walk. I had to have  a lot of physical therapy. I started walking better around five or six years old, but I still had PT until I was 7."

Then she was able to run and run she did. Straight to the soccer pitch.

"I learned to love soccer watching my older brother play," the Eagles freshman said. "I always wanted to play."

That desire led the 5-foot-7, midfielder to a standout career at North Augusta (SC) High School, where she earned All-Region as a sophomore and junior. She was named the region's top player and offensive player of the year as a senior. Along the way, she made the A-B Honor Roll each year of high school.

While Monssi's doctors we able to pinpoint her situation early on, doctors weren't sure why Bryn was unable use her lower arms at birth.

"They both rested on my chest," Bryn said while demonstrating the position of her arms. "They didn't know if something happened during the birth or what. But they were paralyzed the first six months of my life. The doctors told my mom they didn't know how long they would have to wait to do some kind of procedure to correct the problem."

One thing was for sure, however, Kimberly Radvanski wasn't willing to wait. So she started an immediate daily physical therapy program.

"Every day she would have me try to pick up stuff and get my arms working," Bryn recalled. "In a couple of months or so they were working fine.

Like Monssi, Bryn had older brothers who played soccer and she started kicking the ball around before she was 2. But she wasn't about to be tied down to one sport until after high school.

In addition to soccer, Bryn tried her hand at basketball, gymnastics, flag football and track and field. By middle school the 5-foot-7 midfielder had narrowed it down to soccer, basketball and track. And she excelled at all at Matawan (NJ) High School, where she participated in all three from 2016-2020

But at the end of the day, it was soccer that topped the list. Still she did ponder possible playing basketball in college. However, when it was all said and done, soccer checked off all the boxes.

Winthrop Coach Spencer Smith is more than happy with the final choice.

Bryn was named a Big South Conference Freshman of the Week and this season the senior earned Player of the Week honors after her performance in back-to-back wins over Southern Wesleyan and S.C. State. She had a goal and assist coming off the bench against Southern Wesleyan. Bryn added two goals and handed out the assist on what proved to be Abbie McCrea's game-winning goal against the Lady Bulldogs.

Now the biology major facing another decision. What will the Big South Honor Roll and Dean's List selection do post Winthrop?

"For me, I'd like to go to grad school because I want to become a physician's assistant," she said. "And I might use my COVID year to play another season of soccer."

However, that won't be at Winthrop.

"Unfortunately they don't offer the PA program I need here," she explained. "But maybe I can find somewhere in the Charlotte area because I want to stay around her."

The 2023 season by no means went how the two midfielders were hoping. The Eagles finished 4-8-2 overall and 1-6-1 in the Big South Conference, failing to make the tournament.

"We had so many injuries," Bryn lamented. "When you have 12 of your 28 injured, it's hard to compete."

And wouldn't you know it, Monssi is one of the walking wounded. She tore her ACL in the seventh match of the season, the injury coming on the heels of a stellar beginning to her career that saw exercise science major score four goals and hand out an assist. She had surgery in early November, but plans on being back at full speed next season.

"The nine-month rehab will end in July," Monssi said. "I should be ready. I know I'm going to work hard at it."

And you can bet she will, because Monssi is no stranger to a steady dose of physical therapy.