In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, NATA Now is highlighting some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels.
Kimi Lew, MHA, ATC, CEAS, was raised by health care providers – her dad, a pharmacist, and her mom, a respiratory therapist.
As a child, Lew accompanied her mom to her workplace, the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, for a Take Your Daughter to Work Day program.
“[The program] let young girls shadow different health care professionals throughout the hospital, including neurosurgeons and OB-GYNs,” she said. “I remember I enjoyed shadowing the physical therapists, and, not long after, found out that my high school offered being an athletic training student aide as one of the extracurricular activities.”
Lew said she loved the activity and knew at a young age that athletic training was what she wanted to pursue.
This passion has evolved into different capacities of service to the profession via roles including the California Athletic Trainers’ Association Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee chair and incoming Far West Athletic Trainers’ Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee chair. Lew is also incoming District Eight representative of the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.
Learn more about her growth and health equity accomplishments in the profession.
What was your first volunteer position within the athletic training profession and why did you get involved?
My first volunteer position was serving as a member on the CATA EDI Committee in 2021. I had opened a CATA eblast, and it had mentioned that the newly formed EDI Committee was looking for members. Prior to this, volunteering for opportunities like this and getting involved didn’t feel like the place for me. But when I saw this announcement, I decided that I couldn’t be dissatisfied with things if I wasn’t willing to put in the work to make the change I wanted to see. So, what started as one email to our inaugural committee chair, Monica Ohkubo, DSc, ATC, EMT-B, turned into four amazing years of committee service, and now I’m nearly halfway through my first year as committee chair.
Tell us about your current position as California Athletic Trainers' Association Equity, Diversity & Inclusion chair and what you hope to accomplish in this role.
The CATA EDI Committee aims to bring an equity, diversity and inclusion lens to CATA to better support its members, patients and communities. As chair, my role is to elevate the voices of the committee and facilitate implementation of projects that we think will drive EDI forward. This year, we have been able to complete several initiatives, which we are incredibly proud of. During the CATA Symposium, we hosted our first EDI Welcome Mixer, held a donation drive that benefited Dress for Success and partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly Be the Match) to facilitate on-site registrations and increase program awareness. We’ve also been able to continue our EDI Virtual Speaker Series, with topics including implementing microinterventions to counteract microaggressions, language justice, inclusion of adaptive athletics and transgender inclusive care. I am incredibly lucky to work with an amazing group of committee members who are passionate about the work and are vocal about the changes that need to happen to keep moving health equity forward. I am excited to keep the momentum going on the work we have accomplished so far, develop and implement new initiatives and continue to advocate for an environment with CATA and the profession where people feel that they belong.
Why is representation in leadership important and how does it impact the profession?
Diversity encompasses so many aspects of life – race and ethnicity, gender identity and expression, religious affiliation, culture and traditions, physical ability, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status and so much more. Each of these elements contributes to a different lived experience. Representation in all aspects of life, especially in leadership, is crucial because it means that these diverse experiences, perspectives and voices have a seat at the table where decisions are being made, and that is a much better place to advocate for those who may not otherwise be heard. Additionally, it’s hard to aspire to be what you can’t see. Representation in leadership shows other (and often minoritized) people that they belong and can make a difference.
How has volunteering helped you grow personally and professionally?
My experience volunteering has been invaluable. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to meet and collaborate with others, continue to develop leadership skills and gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how our organization functions. Additionally, serving on the CATA EDI Committee has continued to fuel my desire to create positive change in our profession and in the communities we serve. I’ve also been able to make some incredible friends through this experience, which is icing on the cake.
What’s your fondest memory of serving so far?
There’s a tie between my favorite memories of serving and each of them stands out for a different reason. One of my favorites has been hosting our first-ever EDI Welcome Mixer at the 2025 CATA Annual Symposium. Our theme was “You Can Sit With Us” (a twist on the “Mean Girls” quote “You can’t sit with us!” – my fellow millennials will understand), focusing on inclusion and belonging. Most of the CATA EDI Committee members hadn’t met in person until the mixer and symposium, and it was amazing not only getting to spend time together as a committee, but also getting to meet even more athletic trainers.
What advice do you have for other athletic trainers who want to give back to the profession?
Sometimes, the hardest part is finding where to start. I would say to first find your passion, then look for the opportunities that relate to it. Getting started is a little easier when it’s for something you care about. Then, send that email, talk to your mentor, talk to a colleague – you may be surprised at what can happen with just one conversation.
