| Greg LeMond was the first great cyclist that the United States produced. LeMond won a Gold, Silver, and a Bronze medal in the Junior World Championship time trials in 1978. Then LeMond went on to claim Senior World titles in 1979, and again in 1983. In 1986, LeMond won the world's greatest bike race, the Tour de France, a 2,486 mile race, becoming the first American racer to win the title.
Greg LeMond had everything going for him. Fame, fortune, and a bright future seemed assured. Then on April 27, 1987, while turkey hunting, LeMond was accidentally shot by a blast from a shotgun. The explosion from the shell put holes in LeMond's back, his legs, his hands, and broke two of his ribs. Everyone associated with LeMond, from his competitors to his team manager thought he was through as a world class cyclist.
Against all odds, Greg LeMond came back! Not just to compete, but to win! LeMond went on to win both the Senior World Championships and the Tour de France in both 1989, and again in 1990.
LeMond's comeback earned him the ABC Wide World of Sports "Athlete of the Year," Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year," as well as a trip to the White House to meet the President of the United States.
Athletic Principle
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." - M. Kathleen Casey
You hope it never happens to you, but it does. You have sustained an injury and you will be out of practice and competition for a while. As an athlete, your number one concern is getting back to full strength as soon as possible so that you can return to training and competition. Injuries just don't create physical damage, but psychological damage as well. The injury can affect your thoughts, your emotions, your attitudes and your self-image.
Following an injury, all athletes have the tendency to respond with a wide array of emotions such as denial, anger, and depression regarding the unfairness of the injury. Although this is typically a natural reaction, you really need to move beyond these feelings and take some positive steps that will help you cope with the setback.
Approach the Injury as a Challenge
As a competitive athlete, you continually face the challenges that you and your coach must attempt to overcome. The same is true with injuries. Rather than viewing the injury as a crisis that must be endured, it should be seen as a challenge that you and your athletic trainer will strive to conquer. The injury can be viewed as yet another test of your desire and determination.
Accept Responsibility
The injury happened to you - not your coach, your trainer, your teammates, or your parents. It is up to you to assume the responsibility for your rehabilitation. People are there to help you, but the bottom line is that the hard work is up to you. You need to ask yourself, "What do I need to do to get back in the game?"
By taking responsibility and accepting the task at hand, you are putting yourself closer to the goal.
Ask Questions about Your Injury
Not knowing what to expect regarding your injury can cause unnecessary fear and anxiety. It is important to ask your doctor or athletic trainer questions such as:
- Exactly what type of injury do I have?
- How long can I expect to be out of practice and competition?
- What is the purpose of the treatments I am receiving?
- What should I expect during the rehabilitation?
- Are there parts of practice, conditioning, and strength training that I can still participate in that won't aggravate my injury?
By understanding the injury and knowing what to expect during the rehabilitation process, you will feel less anxiety and a greater sense of peace. Also, if you know in advance that there will be ups and downs in your rehab, you will be able to deal with these situations when they occur.
"Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden
Maintain a Positive Attitude
As a competitive athlete you have learned to be committed to the sport, how to maintain a positive focus, and how to concentrate on your strengths and abilities. The same holds true for overcoming setbacks.
To enhance the rehab process, you need to be committed to overcoming your injury by showing up for your treatments, working hard, and listening and doing what your doctor and/or athletic trainer tells you to do. You also need to monitor what you are thinking and saying to yourself regarding the injury and the rehab process.
Your self-talk is important. Are your thoughts negative and self-defeating? To get the most out of your daily rehab, you need to work hard and maintain a positive attitude. Remain focused on what you need to do.
Seek Social Support
A very common response after an injury is for the athlete to isolate themselves from teammates, coaches, and friends because they feel these relationships have changed now that they are not "part of the team." It is very important to maintain the relationship and try to keep things as they were prior to the injury.
Your teammates and coaches can be a real source of strength when you become frustrated. They are there to listen when you need to vent some anger, or can offer advice or encouragement during the rehab process. Just knowing you don't have to face the injury alone can also be a tremendous comfort. So, go to practice; remain around the locker room and the weight room. Be visible by being an active member of the team.
Identify Goals and Strategies
In athletics, you need to have goals to be successful. Goal setting helps you know what you need to do in developing a plan to move in the right direction.
In rehabilitation of your injury, it also helps to set goals. By setting goals related to your recovery, you will have something to focus on each day in making your comeback. This will help keep you motivated. By monitoring your goals you will also be able to notice small improvements in the rehab of your injury. You will feel more confident that you are getting better and improving.
Remember to work closely with your trainer. It will help to work with them to set realistic goals that are in line with each stage of your rehab. Most athletes have a tendency to try to speed-up the recovery by doing too much too soon.
Other Support Services
Use your mental skills. Mental skills will also aid in your ability to rehab the injury. Skills such as relaxation, imagery and positive self-talk have been found to be rather effective in the recovery process.
Physical training specialists are available to design workout programs to maintain your cardiovascular conditioning level and your sports skill level during your rehab. Also, modified strength training and exercise programs can be designed based upon your specific injury. Make use of these support services as they are available to assist you in your recovery.
Life Principle
"The size of your heart - how much determination you have is what matters. If you work hard enough at whatever you do, you'll be able to accomplish it." - Erica Routt
Sometimes it seems like the only big news that ever comes out of the sports world is negative. Every now and then, however, an inspirational story emerges out of the realm of athletics that remind us what sports are really all about.
Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand, reminded us when he threw a no-hitter against the Indians on September 3, 1993.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong reminded us on July 26, 1999 - just three years after doctors gave him a 50-50 chance to live - by winning the first of his five consecutive Tour de France titles. And although many people are unaware of the date's importance, the most recent such reminder occurred on September 18, 2003.
That's when Neil Parry, a member of San Jose State's punt-return team, played 30 of the most heroic seconds in college football history.
With 13:45 left in the game versus Nevada, the crowd began to chant, "Parry! Parry!" as he sprinted onto the field.
Now let's flash back to Parry's freshman season.
On October 14, 2000, in a game versus the University of Texas-El Paso, Neil Parry suffered an injury on a special teams play in the third quarter of the game.
Parry was running downfield, covering a kickoff when a teammate was knocked down and rolled into Parry's leg.
Parry heard the bones snap - the fibula and tibia breaking the skin - but his first thought was that the Spartans had a chance to play in a bowl game and he would miss it.
As he lay on the field at Spartan Stadium, bleeding from a compound fractures on his lower leg, Neil Parry vowed he would play football again.
But in the following weeks what Parry lost was more than just the opportunity to finish the season. Soon after Parry broke the leg he developed a life-threatening infection. Surgeons were forced to amputate his leg three inches below the knee less than two weeks later.
Parry's return to the football field had been 23 months in the making. It began the day after the amputation as Parry sat in the hospital with his father, a surgical nurse, and watched a football game on television. It was then that Neil Parry decided he would be back on the field.
"The next day after the operation I asked my Dad if he thought I could run again. He said yes. So I said, "Why not play football again?'" said Parry.
In the next two years, Parry endured 20 surgeries and was fitted for 15 different prosthetic legs.
I"I had the desire then, and I still have the desire now even after my setback," said Parry. "Going through all of this has taught me a lot about life. I could have given up. But I didn't because I love football."
By August 2001, 10 months after the injury, Parry was back at practice, participating in fall workouts. Parry had hoped to play in 2001, but when that went awry he set his sights on the 2002 home opener against, coincidentally, Texas-El Paso.
That's when the hurdles changed to red tape. His insurance carrier, Mutual of Omaha, threatened to cancel its lifetime coverage for Parry's prostheses. When that problem cleared - Mutual of Omaha reconsidered its position - Parry's leg acted up again. Then another operation was needed.
"After 25 surgeries and just problem after problem, everything kept going the wrong way," Parry said. "A few times it was just like, "Man, is this really what I want to do? Is this going to happen?" But this last summer everything just started going well and one thing led to another."
Parry began practicing in full pads for the first time since the injury in the fall of 2003. He finally convinced Coach Fitz Hill that he was ready.
"He's earned the right," Hill said. "Nobody's given him anything."
"I want to finish what I started," Parry said. Neil Parry did just that.
The story of Neil Parry is a story of comeback, not a setback. It is a story of determination, heart, and grit. It is a story of no matter what happens to you, you are bigger than any circumstance. It is a story of a real champion!
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