Being an athlete means many things for hundreds of people across the world. For some, it means a way to make money, for others a hobby and even a means to de-stress.
For myself, getting involved in sports has always been a hobby. I participated in Basketball and martial arts for a large part of my life. I began my martial arts journey with Tae Kwon Do at the age of 6. At the time, the sports were extracurricular activities that would fill up my time. These additional curricular activities allowed for my parents to be able to work full time and ensure that I was safe and being productive.
As I grew older, martial arts became a large part of my life. The sport was something that I dedicated many years too. Unfortunately, with time and financial issues, I had to take a break from the sport.
Despite the break, my love for the sport remained. It gave me the push to return to the game a couple of years later. I was yet again able to put time into the activity that was merely used as a time placement for my parents to work. It became more than just a mere extracurricular. Unlike my return and love, my body had changed, thus allowing me to face injuries that were hard to recover from. It showed me that one will not always face sports the same way at various ages.
As an athlete, injuries are the worst to face. It taught me the value behind the saying "anything in excess is harmful." It taught me that my body needed to train in ways that helped me rather than harmed me. The injury meant taking time off and leaving the one hobby that I had, yet again. This injury showed me that I no longer was a kid who was six years old and able to bounce around and recover from injuries quickly.
The injury I faced was a displaced knee cap. This displacement would hurt every time I kicked and eventually when I would walk. However, with time I was able to rehab my knee back, but the pain remains nearly a year later.
With time, I have been able to spend time establishing a proper work out plan that allows me to be the athlete who trains in the sport of martial arts. It has taught me to do everything in moderation. I have learned the value of health. My injury showed me that as an athlete injuries could leave a significant impact on your life that can indeed change your life.
For myself, the knee displacement forced me to rethink the role of sports in my life. Despite my injury, my love for martial arts remains and pushes me to train on a regular basis. This knee displacement was more of a learning lesson that would show me to work and do everything in ways where I would gain from an activity rather than lose from it.
As an athlete, it is your love for the sport and learning from your injuries that make you the perfect athlete. I hope that one day I can achieve every goal I set for myself with the game.