STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A year ago, she was learning to walk without pain. Now, she's scoring goals and walking runways.

In one split second, Avery Harr's junior season came crashing down with the sound of a torn ACL. But if there's one thing the Tarleton State forward has never lacked, it's determination. After months of grueling rehab, quiet mornings in the training room, and relentless focus, Harr has returned stronger than ever — not just to the field, but to herself.

The senior has made her return to the field count — starting multiple matches and finding the net four times. Her comeback is one of grit and resilience, and her story doesn't stop at soccer. Away from the pitch, she's modeling in New York, gracing campaigns for major brands — balancing Division I athletics with the fast-paced world of fashion.

'A Life-Changing Injury'
The Aurora, Colorado, native, was getting ready for her junior season with the Texans when she suffered a knee injury during practice, completely ending her season before it even started.

"I completely tore my ACL and then I had a slight tear in my meniscus," recounted Harr.

"I had a lot of thoughts and feelings about it, especially because I had personally a good season," Harr said.

During her sophomore season, she earned three goals and two assists for a total of eight points, took 28 shots with 20 falling on goal, and logged 1,359 minutes. Her injury not only affected her soccer career but took a toll on her modeling career as well. 
 
"There are so many things that my ACL kind of ruined soccer wise, modeling wise, all of it," Harr said.

Many athletes who suffer such an injury of the sort, especially so late in their career, might throw in the towel. Harr did the opposite.

"I just had to take a step back and be like, this is happening for a reason and not be really negative about it because it was such a completely life-changing injury," Harr said.

However, this was not an easy feat that Harr was going to face. In fact, her ACL tear put her out a year and a half, twice as long as the minimum recovery time.
The junior returned home to Colorado and began rehab, attending physical therapy six days a week. She did muscle rehab and movement rehab in an attempt to regain her strength. The process came with its fair share of ups and downs, not only physically but also mentally.

"I think you can ask anyone, my type of play is very aggressive, and I go in hard for tackles," Harr stated. "Trying to get that back is hard because, even though I know my knee is strong, going into it, I still have this mental block – the mental part of it is the hardest part."

As she pushed through months of rehab and mental hurdles, her support system became her  foundation — teammates who checked in daily, coaches who believed she'd return stronger, and her faith. That itself grounded her when uncertainty took over.

"I'm really big into my faith, and that was, like, the biggest part of the whole entire experience," she said. "Putting all of my negative thoughts and  opinions towards God helped get me through that whole bad, negative side of it and brought  me into more of a positive side."

'I'm Finally Back'
As her knee healed, so did her determination to come back stronger. Through lots of hard work  and dedication, Harr made a full recovery and was able to make her return just in time for her  senior season. The forward was one of the 11 Texans on the starting lineup in her first game back against UTRGV.

"Everyone was cheering really loud whenever I stepped on the field first... It was kind of weird, actually, because I was like, 'wow, I'm finally back," Harr said. "It took me a year and a half to get to this point."

Her team went on to beat the Vaqueros 1-0 and clinch their first victory of the season. As the season progressed, Harr's recovery has shown to be successful. So far, she has played in 18 matches while starting 15, scoring four goals and earning two assists.

In Tarleton State's second conference matchup against Southern Utah, Harr scored a goal in the 87^th minute to tie up the score and keep the Texans in the match and in the running for a spot in the conference tournament. However, the senior's work has not stopped. She has continued to have to train extra and work hard.

"I had to do extra lifts with our PT," Harr said. "I had to gain more muscle on my left leg than my right, so workouts look completely different than when we were with the team."

But beyond the goals and game days, this season carries a deeper meaning. After everything  she's overcome, her senior year isn't just about finishing strong — it's about appreciating every moment she gets to play and the relationships she's formed along the way.

"It's kind of crazy. It doesn't seem like I'm a senior," Harr said. "I've gotten really, really close with some of the underclassmen.. Those relationships, I think mean so much more to me and that's what I'm going to miss the most about it. Like yes, the soccer part, but the people I've  met here and the people I'm leaving behind, that's going to be a really hard part."

The Runway
Being a Division I athlete is demanding on its own. But for Harr, that's only half the story. When she's not training or competing, she's modeling for major brands — proving that discipline and determination translate far beyond the field.

Harr started her modeling career at 13 years old after being reached out to through social media. She credits her mom for pushing her into modeling.

"I was not about it at all. I was like,  'I'm full-blown soccer, tomboy, whatever," she recalled.

Soon after them reaching out, Harr went in for an open interview and got a contract. Just a month later, she signed with her eight agencies while at a runway and hit the ground running.
 
Modeling has taken her places she could have never imagined, including New York, South Korea, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Barcelona, Italy, and London. She has worked  with large name brands such as Nike, Calvin Klein, Abercrombie, Aeropostale, MAC Cosmetics, Sephora, North Face, and Billabong.

Managing two demanding worlds — college athletics and professional modeling — has become  part of Avery's daily routine, a balance that requires the same dedication she brings to every  match.

"It's hard. It's very, very hard," Harr said. "Honestly, one of the biggest things is having very open-minded coaches. That's one of the biggest reasons I picked Tarleton State. My modeling career is very  important to me, and I think they know that... My coaches being super lenient is the biggest component of like, why I'm still here, why I went to this school, and why I'm able to do both."

Even after Harr's senior soccer season concludes, she will still have to balance two worlds. She plans to move to New York in May following graduation to continue her modeling career, pursuing sports media internships in the city in the process.

While her city may be new, balancing two worlds won't be.