3 Amazing Olympians push their bodies to the limit, and sometimes they push too far. Injuries are inevitable when you’re training and competing at the Olympic level. Luckily, star athletes have teams of physical therapists, physicians, chiropractors, and other professionals on hand to help them get back to the top of their game. Here are just three of those amazing recovery stories, starring Olympians who got a leg up from PT! Bradie Tennell: From a Back Brace to Bronze In 2015, figure skater Bradie Tennel won the Junior title at the U.S. Championships — then, she fractured her spine in two places. She wore a back brace for three months, and she later learned she had a third fracture no one caught the first time! Still, with the help of a physical therapist Olympians Need PTs, Too!
Olympic Athlete Recovery Stories
and Pilates, she got back on the ice. She went on to win a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. J.R. Celski: Beating the Odds on the Ice During the Olympic trials for the 2010 Winter Games, short track speed skater J.R. Celski tumbled on the ice. “I fell in the corner and put the front 6 inches of my blade straight into my quad … I completely severed the VMO ‘tear drop muscle’ and luckily barely missed the femoral artery, which might’ve been the end,” he told SBNation. Most viewers thought Celski was headed for retirement, but after emergency surgery, 60 stitches, and five months of rehabilitation, he was back. Incredibly, he won two bronze medals at the 2010 Games and a silver in 2014.
Hannah Kearney: The Gold Medalist Who Almost Wasn’t Freestyle skier Hannah Kearney has overcome so many injuries that she inspires other injured Olympians to keep grinding. The laundry list of injuries includes a concussion, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a lacerated liver. In 2007, she needed reconstructive surgery on the ACL in her knee. But she came out of her rehabilitation stronger than ever! In 2010, she won an Olympic gold skiing on her reconstructed knee.
EASY TUNA POKE BOWL This protein-packed recipe is the perfect dinner for two on a hot summer night when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
HAVE A LAUGH
Ingredients
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2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped 1 scallion, finely chopped 1 cup rice, cooked and cooled
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2 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup avocado, cubed
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp sesame seeds
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10 oz canned tuna, drained
Directions
1. First, make the dressing. In a jar, add soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice, and ginger. Secure the lid and shake until emulsified. 2. In a small bowl, empty the drained tuna and pour the dressing over top. Add the cilantro and scallions and stir until well coated. 3. Divide rice between two serving bowls. Top with the dressed tuna, avocado, tomatoes, and sesame seeds.
Inspired by TheKitchn.com
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