Has there ever been a time in your life where you were at a setback? And after this setback, you told yourself that you were going to do anything possible to be back better than before, right? The drive, the motivation, and determination carried you so far until there was a drop. It was as if the drive wasn’t enough. The motivation wasn’t enough. Your own determination wasn’t enough. It was as if one morning you woke up and everything changed. Whether it be losing weight, working to pay off a loan, or in my case, recovering from an injury; the slump in which I fell, was enough to knock me on my knees.
After graduating high school, I promised myself I was going to work as hard as I possibly could in college. This including my grades, my social life, but primarily my athletics. I wanted to be somebody people could talk about. Like a majority of track and field athletes, we have our eyes set on something much bigger: the Olympics. We can’t go from high school to college, to the national level, no. Instead, we have to go straight to the worldwide level. The smallest mistake could take away my chances of ever trying out for the Olympics.
Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes. The first mistake was hurting my shoulder. The pain was enough to know that it was serious. The second mistake was competing two seasons with a hurt shoulder. I finally got surgery at the beginning of summer, and my recovery started immediately. For a few months, I kept a positive mind. I worked two jobs and for the most part, I stayed pretty busy. However, going from independent and strong to weak and helpless was the hardest part. I couldn’t get dressed by myself, do my own hair, or even carry my own things. My whole personality was stripped in just moments.
Aside from being dependent on others, I was told to take a few months off. Take months off? What does that mean? I couldn’t run, lift, or even think about physical activity. My whole biological clock was off balance. I fell into depression. What was I even good for if I couldn’t workout?
As I returned to college, I was happy to see my team. Although I was hurt, I still attended practice and meetings. Being told to sit out on drills, not do lifts, or not help set up was hard enough. I started to lose hope. All I can see is a team getting stronger, and myself getting weaker. I am so behind. I got so upset with myself, that I basically changed my entire demeanor towards track. It was then that I realized my own determination wasn’t cutting it. I had to reach out and find new motivation; something that would keep my eyes on the prize. That didn't happen until I came across an article on Olympic athletes and their injuries throughout time.
After reading the article, I can honestly say that I am motivated to keep going. If I am a success story, then it will be quite a story to tell. I learned to never give up. The path to your goals is never certain. It might take you down valleys, or through forests, but you can always find your way back to your mountain.
