There I was…laid up in my parent’s living room recliner in Alabama. I can’t walk, I’m no longer independent, I’m counting on my mom to do my laundry and cook my meals, I’m having to get help to move around and even get into bed, etc. etc.

It feels like I have bullet wounds in my leg and ankle after the surgery.

And to top it off, I can’t help but watch the championship meets I am missing on TV.

Not the best way to spend your late spring and early summer…

But I knew it was only temporary. I knew I had the grit, determination, and consistency to make my way back to the sport. I just had to listen to the doctors and learn from the greats.

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I found myself reading books on recovery, finding speeches on YouTube of some of the best athletes of all time making it back from their own setbacks, and even documentaries like Kobe’s “Muse” which documented the process of coming back from his Achilles injury.

I was seeking information that would put me on the fast track to returning to the sport I loved. And I feel like I uncovered the habits that would ultimately help me get back in the arena.

Throughout the whole process, there were 3 buckets that I needed to focus my habits to make the comeback. They were general health, rehabilitation, and mindset. Let’s dive into each.

General Health

My general health habits, for the most part remained the same. However, there were a few small tweaks that needed to be made to further assist in the healing process. My daily health habits during the recovery process:

• Sleep 8-9 hours / night

• Hydrate with electrolytes immediately after waking (then throughout the day)

• Eat consistent meals consisting of whole foods

• Up protein intake slightly from normal level (body needs to rebuild)

• Continued regular supplements (multivitamin, vitamin D3, creatine, melatonin)

• Added new supplements (calcium, bone broth, omega-3)

• Limited (almost no) alcohol

I knew if I consistently hit the habits above, I would begin to see the compounding effects over the course of my recovery journey. I just needed to be consistent with it.

Rehabilitation

Rehab is one of the most important parts of the recovery process (aside from your general health which is foundational). But I found a few things that kept me on track in this process:

• Follow your rehab plan to a T - Trust the experts and do absolutely everything they instruct you to do.

• Never skip a day - Even when you don’t feel like doing anything whatsoever and it feels like you’re never going to heal, you have to put in the work.

• Seek criticism - Ask questions of your athletic trainer or physical therapist for anything else you should be aware of or any critique to you form in exercises.

• Continue to push your body - Don’t get comfortable. Stay within your limits, but cross-train and complete every session with intention. If you can help it, hold on to the fitness you have.

Mental Habits

It really is hard to rank these by importance…because the mental aspect of this is imperative as well. If you don’t believe you can make it back, your body will reciprocate that sentiment. Here are some of the habits I took on that kept my mind strong during the recovery process:

• Daily visualization - I visualized what it would be like to walk normally again, to train, and to, eventually, win another championship and hold a medal. I did this over and over every day without fail. It makes it real. It tells your body that you will heal. You will make the comeback.

• Journal - Everyday, I wrote down my thoughts and feelings about the injury. I wrote what was working, what wasn’t working, how we could improve, etc. Now, I can look back on all of those thoughts for years to come.

• Speak to those who have been in the same situation - I was constantly reaching out to people asking for advice on how they were able to come back from their own setbacks. You’d be surprised how many people will be willing to help you. They know the struggle and they know how lonely it can feel.

And another note, I know how hard it can be to have a setback like this. And just so you know, I have shed a lot of tears just writing this and reflecting back on the journey. I get it. But I promise, there are people there for you cheering you on. It may feel impossible to return, but if you keep pushing and stay consistent, you will arrive at your goal of making the comeback.

And you’ll have an uncontested respect for yourself you never thought possible before. And no one will ever be able to take that away from you.

So whatever you’re going through, just know that I’m cheering you on. And please shoot me a message if you ever have any more questions or want any more tips. I’d be happy to help. You got this 🙏 

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