On March 17th, 2016 one of the most common leg injuries happened to me, I tore my ACL. Your ACL is known as your anterior cruciate ligament. The ACL is one of the four main ligament components that hold the femur and tibia together. This injury does require surgery to fix. Before this happened, practice had been going very well. Everybody was having a good tumbling day, plus it was our first practice back after competing at Baylor University and Hawaii Pacific University. We only had one meet left before we would head to Waco, Texas for nationals. Coach wanted us to step up our tumbling and I was determined to make effort for my team. I was attempting a semi new skill, a round-off back-handspring one and a half. A one and a half is one body rotation with one and a half twist.
Before I started competing collegiate, I was an all-star cheerleader since the age of 5. We were practically raised in the gym. Some refer to the kids who spend all their childhood in a gym, a gym-rat. During my all-star cheerleading life, I've witnessed girls get hurt from tumbling, yet ACL tears weren't that common in girls at the time. I remember hearing about one or two in the span of 13 years. All-star cheerleading is different from acro in a lot of ways; uniforms, different events, but the biggest difference would have to be spring floor vs dead mat. In acrobatics and tumbling we compete on a foam floor with a carpet covering. No bounce included. On the March 17th practice, I was attempting the new skill. For the first couple of tries, I didn't land it and would fall kinda awkwardly. My last attempt I was definitely sure I would land it. All the girls on my team were rooting for me to do it, and to land it. The adrenaline rush you get from trying a new tumbling pass is incredible. People always ask when you fall, "Didn't that hurt?" and most of the time we're like "Nope". Not in this case, I took off with enough power and I really thought I was going to land it, and the next thing I know is that I hear a big pop in my leg and it went numb. I still don't know how it happened, I just remember the sound of that pop. The athletic trainers at AB are amazing, they rushed over to me to make sure I was okay, and the helped me off the mat. Sarah, the acro's team athletic trainer informed that that she thought I had torn my ACL and medial meniscus. She set up a doctors appointment right away.
At the doctors appointment, I had received X-rays and an MRI. Doctor Fazzalare is an amazing doctor, and when I first met him I knew he was the right guy to see. He did multiple test on my leg to see if it was torn, but at the time there was so much swelling and inflammation. About a week later, I received a phone call for another appointment. I was really happy because another girl on my team had an appointment that day too! Once again going back to AB's athletic trainers and how amazing they are, Sarah came to the doctors appointment with me. I was so lucky to have a temporary mom with me. On March 22nd, I had received the worst news any college athlete could imagine (yes, i know there are worst injuries), he confirmed the ACL tear, but no medial meniscus tear. From this time I would start prehab, this is physical therapy before you get surgery to make sure your muscles stay strong.
On April 22nd, after returning from Waco, Texas two days ago I would have surgery at six o clock in the morning, I was also really appreciative because another girl on my team was having acl surgery that day too. This would be my first surgery ever. When I woke up in recovery it was a little rough; crying and asking for my mom and feeling nauseous. By the way if you're 18 years or older no matter what, they don't let your parent back in recovery with you. Everything went as planned, and I was in a lot of pain. Now would start the hard part. I would start physical therapy (pt) three days a week for the next six months.
But here I am now, three months in and Doctor Fazzalare says I'm doing very well. I can now run and do more intense PT. This hasn't been an easy process, not only the physical pain but the mental frustration. I just can't wait to be able to tumble and do everything else I could before surgery. So to all of you college athletes who have gotten hurt, I know your pain. I know your frustration. Also to all you college athletes who are afraid of getting hurt, don't fear the bad things. Things will happen for a reason, don't stress. You will be okay.
