Podcast

“One of the catalysts for us starting the Injured Athletes Club support group and then also doing the podcast is so that you don’t feel like you’re alone … when you lose your sport, there’s sometimes so many little mini-losses that come with that. So to be able to come to the Injured Athletes Club…

“My parents are dancers, so I literally grew up in the studio. Ballet kind of goes hand in hand with my identity—I have always been Chyrstyn the ballet dancer. I didn’t realize that until I had it taken away from me and I had to sit down and identify other things that I was interested…

“I’d really love to know how to stop comparing the athlete I was before injury to the athlete I am now. I had knee surgery 10 months ago, and even though I’m fully cleared for all activities I am really struggling to get back into a groove with running. Any type of speed work really…

“One of the biggest challenges athletes face is trying to figure out if the pain that they’re experiencing is pain that’s a signal to stop or a pain that is okay to push through. Like, ‘When I feel this pain, if I push through, am I going to do further harm? Am I going to…

“I’d love to know how you ever get comfortable with pushing the limits, or pushing hard again, without being so scared of re-injury. I often feel that in my speed workouts, I’m holding back, afraid to see how hard I can push, because I’m scared, but I also don’t want to let that fear hinder…

[Having type 1 diabetes] comes with a lot of struggles, but I try to kind of embrace those struggles and learn from them and they help me grow. Having that perspective with type 1 helped me with my ACL recovery. Because I could say, ‘Alright, this is going to be one of the hardest times…

“How can we communicate with our partners, friends, and family about how hard we are finding it to be injured and what we need in terms of emotional support? —Anna   “I have the same question: My husband is very helpful in doing physical tasks I still can’t manage eight months after a trimalleolar pilon…

“Rugby is something I think about all the time. But then going like, if it’s gone, am I okay? If it’s ripped away, like my able-bodied football career was, am I okay? In that moment, I wasn’t. I had to ask, who is Joe in this new life in a wheelchair, and what’s my identity?…

“I loved the bit in the book where it gave ideas of how to respond to common messages or responses from people. I find it difficult to respond to the two following common comments I get about my injury journey: 1. You’ll come out stronger 2. Your injury means you can concentrate on other things…

“I obviously was devastated; there’s no way around it. It hit me really hard, and I kind of allowed myself—I tend to do this when I’m going through something like emotional turbulence or something where I’m upset about something going on with my sport or personal life or whatever—I’m like, okay, I’m gonna give myself…