Today is December 11th, it has now been over two months since I broke my collar bone while training in Steamboat Springs CO.
To fill in the blanks from my last blog here is what you missed
The journey back to Calgary consisted of pain medication, awkward one armed bag carrying, and sleeping every time I was sitting still. But once home I began to work with my Sports Chiropractor Dr. Tony Gareau. Now my parents both work in the day, and at this point in time, I was still in a sling, as well as on pain medication. So essentially driving was not an option, the following week I depended on a variety of people to drive me around from various appointments, engagements and evening work. I will now take the time to thank the people who went out of their way to help me out. Amy Foster, Alexandra Pretorius, and Ashley wood, thank you so much, I really could not have made it through the week without your countless favours and efforts, if you guys ever need a ride, you know my number.
To fill in the blanks from my last blog here is what you missed
The journey back to Calgary consisted of pain medication, awkward one armed bag carrying, and sleeping every time I was sitting still. But once home I began to work with my Sports Chiropractor Dr. Tony Gareau. Now my parents both work in the day, and at this point in time, I was still in a sling, as well as on pain medication. So essentially driving was not an option, the following week I depended on a variety of people to drive me around from various appointments, engagements and evening work. I will now take the time to thank the people who went out of their way to help me out. Amy Foster, Alexandra Pretorius, and Ashley wood, thank you so much, I really could not have made it through the week without your countless favours and efforts, if you guys ever need a ride, you know my number.
On day number 5 I was fed up with sitting around and decided that instead of waiting the suggested 2 weeks to start training again, 5 days was enough. Now of course I wasn’t planning on going for long roller skis with poles, or ski jumping, but I really just could not sit back and relax, it’s really just not something I can do. The next 6 days consisted of lower body workouts at the gym, (special thanks to Alexandra Pretorius) more therapy, and trying to keep busy. Eventually I wasn’t wearing the sling anymore, stopped taking pain medication, and on day six I could lift my arm above my head. To me this seemed like a good enough indication that it was time to start skiing again. So a week after surgery I was skiing with two poles again.
I can remember the fear in my mom’s eyes as she saw me leaving to go for my first roller ski, and though in my head I felt confident and ready, I wasn’t entirely sure that my body was ready for it. But that day I was able to ski for an hour. Sure I wasn’t completely back to normal, every time I would pole it seemed like the vibrations went straight into my collar bone, but I think it was the thought that the rest of my team were competing in Lake Placid NY at US nationals. And even though I couldn’t be skiing with them, at least I could be skiing at the same time as them. From there on things got easier and easier. Eventually I started doing upper body strength, running stopped hurting, and I could ski for an entire 2 hours. This meant that it was finally time to return back to Steamboat and go back to full time training. |
Now skip ahead to November 22nd, the first day of winter jumping. I hadn’t jumped since October 3rd, and as you all know that last jump didn’t go so well. Everyone tells you not to worry about it, and that the first jump back from an injury is just like any other jump after a break. I didn’t doubt them, but for the past 2 months the crash had been playing on repeat inside my head, I couldn’t help to be nervous and scared. I have jumped in World Cups, and competed in hundreds of high level competitions all around the world, but none of that could prepare me for my first jump back. That entire break building up to that moment all I could hear was this tiny voice in the back of my head saying don’t fall...
At the top of the jump my nerves were firing, it was a mixture of fear and confusion joining forces and skipping up and down through my head. There was no controlling or stopping it, the only way of beating it was to get the first jump out of the way, and so I let go of the bar and before I knew it was in the air. To be honest there’s not much I remember from that jump, but what I do remember was the feeling of air whisping through my helmet, the gentle push of wind touching my skin, and an invisible force beneath my skis keeping me in the air. The past two months had been filled with fear, and that fear covered up the thing I loved so much about my sport, the feeling of flying! | First Jump Back After Injury |
I have said this before, I was lucky. Many athletes have injuries that are much more serious than mine, and I am thankful that after 5 days I was able to train again. But I did not do this all on my own, there are so many people that I want to thank that helped me recover from the accident. It could be anything from performing the surgery, to just writing a simple get well soon message. Everything helped, and I am so so so! thankful for whatever it was that you did.
Sometimes we take things for granted, in my 12 years of jumping, I had never had an injury that disabled me from being able to jump as long as this one did. Sure overall it sucked, no one enjoys being injured, but if you look hard enough, there is always something good in any situation. I realize now that my something good was re learning why I fell in love with this sport. It’s those jumps that are indescribable, and those skis where time passes in the blink of an eye. The injury lighted the fuse, it was the motivation I needed, and revealed why I do this sport.
It’s simply because I love it.
Sometimes we take things for granted, in my 12 years of jumping, I had never had an injury that disabled me from being able to jump as long as this one did. Sure overall it sucked, no one enjoys being injured, but if you look hard enough, there is always something good in any situation. I realize now that my something good was re learning why I fell in love with this sport. It’s those jumps that are indescribable, and those skis where time passes in the blink of an eye. The injury lighted the fuse, it was the motivation I needed, and revealed why I do this sport.
It’s simply because I love it.