coaster process. It is a long recovery and rehabilitation but it’s imperative to stay focused and ahead of the game. Sticking to the physiotherapy plan and doing exercises reg- ularly is the key to getting back to sports within the average nine month recovery time. I recommend keeping track of accomplishments in a journal, on a calendar, on Twitter, blogs, wherever, as it helped me maintain awareness of my progress as the weeks and months passed. Although the injury and rehabilitation is physical, many of the long term repercussions are mental. The entire process is stressful and constantly demands positivity and self-moti- vation which can be hard to find some times. The confidence and trust lost after an injury is very hard to recuperate. Now, one year after surgery, I am happy to say that I am back to sports and I enjoy working out regularly. I am begin- ning to do full workouts and gain confidence without my brace. So far, I have returned to hockey, done a high ropes course, played beach volleyball, and gone skiing. I was very nervous to do each of these activities but I am grateful for my family’s support and encouragement. I have thought long and hard about joining the ultimate frisbee team at my school but I believe I need to do this in order to continue making progress in the right direction. “It is tough to get back the fearless mentality I once had but I am optimistic” Overall, I am grateful for the surgery and the outcome and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as most obstacles are.
I needed to go. I was on crutches for the first six weeks of recovery because of my meniscus repair. I took advantage of this “down time” without athletics to become involved with the air cadet and Lion’s Club public speaking compe- titions which I really enjoyed. Having to get everywhere by crutches was a long and frustrating learning experience but it has definitely made me much more appreciative of my athletic abilities and good health. Once I began to walk again, my recovery took flight. I was eager to return to my normal routine and become involved in things like my school’s fashion show, which I walked in while I still had a slight limp. I started hiking again with my family and going to the driving range with my dad and my brother. It was nice to return to everything that had been put on pause for a few months! Also, while planning on potentially losing my senior year hockey season due to my recovery, I tried to make the best of it and I decided to apply for Grade 12 Representative on
Students’ Council which I’ve grown to love!
It’s important to never lose hope throughout this roller
84
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
Made with FlippingBook HTML5