Enloe's MacKenzie Telfaire shows "Extra Effort" on volleyball court and in sports medicine

"Today we are going to get into methods for displaced arm fractures and leg fractures," Marc Mooney said to his class.

Mooney is the head athletic trainer at Enloe Magnet High School. It's 9:00am and his Sports Medicine IV class is about to start.

"Volunteer real quick?" Mooney asked the class. "MacKenzie."

Senior MacKenzie Telfaire gets up out of her seat excitedly. She knew they were going to do demonstrations and has been looking forward to it.

"I've been taking that class since my sophomore year of high school," Telfaire said in an interview after class in the school gym. "Now I'm in Sports Med IV where we actually get to do hands on stuff."

"Usually the fractures going to be in the middle third," Mooney said as he demonstrated how to apply a vacuum splint. He inflates it with air around Telfaire's wrist when there's a knock at the door. Mooney answers and several adults begin filing in. There's coaches, counselors, the principal, assistant principal and Telfaire's parents.

"I was like what's going on?" Telfaire said. "I know all these people, but like why are you here?"

Telfaire plays Volleyball for Enloe and on a travel team. She's also competed in high school basketball and track.

"You have six rotations, six girls on the court at a time," Telfaire said about why she loves volleyball. "I think the comradery and the teamwork that you have to have to perform; I can't do my job as a middle blocker without my passers and setters so being able to create that bond with those people and have that teamwork when it all comes together... it's like the best feeling ever."

Telfaire hopes to play volleyball at the Division I or II level. She's already been accepted into several colleges thanks to her 4.2 GPA and long list of activities. Telfaire is the Eagle Club President at Enloe which involves planning school events and pep rallies. She's also a member of the National Honor Society, she's teen President of Jack and Jill of America, a local volunteer organization, and she's a girl scout to name a few.

"I'm just a very social person," Telfaire said. "All these different things I'm involved in allow me to connect with the people I work with. Whether it's at school or outside of school; I just love creating the bonds, the memories that come with all that.  It's just fun for me."

She's accomplished a lot in four years, but it hasn't come without adversity. Freshman year she suffered a concussion and an ankle injury playing volleyball. In February of 2021 she had another ankle injury and had to sit out again.  The experience helped her realize she wanted to pursue sports medicine as a career.

"The ultimate goal or dream would be to be a trainer for a professional sports team," Telfaire said. "Whether it's through prevention, wrapping athletes up before their game or rehabilitation, helping them get back to where they were if not better.  I can work with young athletes to adults."

"She has such a great rapport, such a great presence in the Enloe community," Mooney said. "Everybody has high expectations and cares about her greatly. We just can't wait to see what's next for her."

Mooney knows exactly why the school's administration is suddenly lined up in the back of his classroom. He pauses and reveals the secret to Telfaire.

"Surprise," Mooney said to Telfaire.

"What is happening?" Telfaire asked.

"Mackenzie you are the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award winner," Mooney said.

"Are you serious?" Telfaire gasped as the room rung with applause.

"Congratulations," Mooney said. "We are so proud of you here at Enloe."

After accepting the WRAL Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award, Telfaire had a chance to reflect in the volleyball gym.

"I do what I do because I love it. I don't do it for the recognition, I do it for me," Telfaire said. "It means the world to me, just the fact that people see that and I'm not going through it alone. People see that and recognize me for it, it just means everything to me and I really appreciate it."