Overseas: Uncut

When I think back to February 22nd, the day I tore my achilles, there are so many things that I wonder about. Is there anything I could have done to prevent it? Could I have warmed up better? Did I push myself too hard that week?

It was a devastating realization that something serious was wrong, especially after just finishing a recovery from a Lisfranc injury.

After things started to settle, I understood I couldn’t change what happened so I shifted my focus. Although I had a huge challenge ahead of me, I knew there were people who have conquered it before. Seeing people like Kevin Durant, Kelsey Plum and Stewie, all who tore their achilles, gave me hope that I could get back to myself again. The one player who I really looked to was Kobe Bryant. He was 34 when he tore his achilles, and I, 33. His age and social media post the day he tore his achilles, specifically encouraged me. Here’s his post below:

There have been plenty days when it was hard to workout or do rehab without a gameday close in sight, but I’ve continued to remind myself of the goal of putting that New York Liberty jersey on in May. And while tearing my achilles & getting back to back injuries is something that I don’t understand, I trust God that things will turn out far better than I could ever imagine; and in many ways they have already started to.

It’s been over 9 months and I am finally back to feeling like myself again. This journey has taught me patience, humility & resilience. As Kobe said, “If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear.” That mindset helped me through the toughest days. Now as I step back onto the court, I’m grateful- not only for my health but also for the strength and growth this journey has given me, lessons that cannot be taught.