Laurie Martin-Giordano

President, Zach Martin Memorial Foundation

Laurie Martin-Giordano attended Hodges University, School of Allied Health in Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences in 2010. She started the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation, a non-profit foundation, in 2017 after her son’s death from exertional heat stroke. Much of her work experience is in finance, analytics, and real estate law and her unique combination of education and experience allows her to serve in multiple roles and areas of responsibility.

The mission of the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation is to provide education and awareness to athletes, coaches, and parents about Exertional Heat Illnesses (EHI). Towards this end, Laurie speaks at several committee meetings each year, including SMAC (Sports Medicine Advisory Committee), FASMed (Florida Alliance for Sports Medicine), JSMP (Jacksonville Sports Medince Program), ATAF (Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida) and NATA (National Athletic Trainers’ Association), sharing her story and vision for heat illness policy changes for high school athletics. In a combined effort with these committees and other bereaved parents, Laurie directly addressed the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletics Association) Board of Directors requesting heat illness policy changes to protect high school athletes in 2018. In response, the FHSAA Board implemented mandatory exertional heat illness education for all high school athletic programs in Florida.

Under Laurie’s leadership, the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation donates cold water immersion tubs to Florida high schools and is raising public support for athlete safety and awareness of exertional heat illness. The Foundation awarded its first scholarship to a Florida athletic training student in 2018. Additionally, it provides exertional heat illness education to athletes, parents, and club sport participants and funded the video production of “Cold Therapy Guide for Heat Illness.”