The ghost of injuries past

Put your body on the line” is a saying that rings true for any athlete.

When athletes commit, they give it their all and take on all risks, and the most prevalent of these risks is injuries.The stories of athletes who heal from career-altering injuries may be incredibly powerful, however, the truth is, returning to the pre-injury physical level is only half the battle, for the body is only as capable as the mind allows it to be.

Trauma, as defined by the MerriamWebster Medical Dictionary, is a “disordered psychic or behavioural state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury”. Clint Malarchuk was a professional ice hockey goaltender from 1981 to 1996. In 1989, Malarchuk’s throat was lacerated by an opponent’s skate, which resulted in him being rushed to the hospital where he was stitched up and fortunately survived. In a roaring display of resilience from him, he returned to play only ten days later. To many, that meant the incident was behind him. Yet, in 2008 when another player experienced the same injury, he was overcome by the memory of his incident.

The mind keeps a record of all that it endures, good or bad. In traumatic situations, memories are often suppressed as a coping mechanism; however, that does not mean the memories are lost. The article “How The Brain Hides Memories” by Northwestern Medicine speaks of how memories created in certain mental states, such as trauma, can only be accessed when one re-enters that state. It is this psychological phenomenon that inhibits physically recuperated athletes from returning to their sports after injury.

These devastating injuries can sow seeds of doubt in an athlete’s mind about their ability to come back and also in their ability to be as high-performing as they

Illustration: Cleo Qin were pre-injury. Athletes see their bodies as machines. They are required to be the most efficient to see the most success, but an injury sets them back on many fronts. Even after they have recovered, the damage done to their body presents a weak spot in their makeup. All these battles are more mental than they are physical, meaning that no amount of physical therapy or strength training can convince the athlete that they are still capable of performing at their prior level. same routine as yesterday, except this time I took Thupana’s advice to stretch beforehand, which worked like a charm. It only took three hours and many breaks in between but, I had finished his daily exercise routine. I was drenched in sweat, could feel my heart pounding, and had a growing sense of hatred for myself, but I had done it, I had trained like a UP athlete for a day.

Athletes can make use of therapy to overcome these mental blocks, but the process is painful, especially if an athlete have to accept the idea of performing at a reduced level. Only when all the mental obstacles are cleared will the athlete find a way forward, whether that means they resume playing or are simply at peace with the space they find themselves in.

Emily Dickinson wrote, “One need not be a Chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house”. Trauma and fear can be like ghosts in the lives of athletes during their recovery and thereafter. These lurking feelings are invisible but make greater impressions on an athlete’s ability than the physical scars they may have. Only in a holistic recovery - both mind and body - will they be truly healed.

Day 5

This day became a ‘stay in your lane’ day. This is because I woke up Friday morning with my body on fire and my muscles screaming. I could feel the throbbing pain in places where I had no idea I even had muscles. There would be no exercise today, only YouTube and couch sitting. I was not built to be a UP athlete and run marathons, instead,I was just built to watch them.

That was the conclusion of my exhausting week of trying to become a UP athlete. Ultimately, it was not a success at all, there were many lows and few highs. I take off my hat to those who push their bodies every day while studying and are committed to being the top-tier athletes they are.