2015 Rollercoaster Ride of Injuries

​Sorry it has been so long since my last newsletter. The past few months have been very stressful physically, emotionally and financially. I have been working my butt off to stay as positive as I can.
 
At the end of November I was down in Brazil. I had a good tournament and was ready to get home to amp up my training and kick butt!  The first week back from Brazil I subluxed my elbow; which tore a ligament. I had to take several weeks off the mats. It is normally a minimum 6-8 week recovery, but I worked very hard on my rehab and was able to compete in Siberia, Russia at the end of January. I was excited to compete and represent my country. It is always great to have these opportunities and I did not want to miss out on the chance to compete. In my second match in Russia I hurt my knee and needed to pull out of the tournament. Once again this injury was another minimum 6-8 week recovery.
 
National Championships was 8 weeks away and I needed to rehab another injury and take more time off the wrestling mats. I flew straight to Saskatoon for my rehab where I got so much support from Craven Sport Services, friends and family. It gave me the push I needed to keep fighting for my goal. I am a soldier and sometimes you need help along the way to remind you. I thank them so much for getting me through that month. Once I got back to St. Catharines I was ready to train hard. I could have taken an injury provision, but that is not who I am. In my final two weeks before nationals I was on the wrestling mat training to win. I owed that to my competition and myself.
 
There are no excuses for my result at National Championships. I put in all the work I could and trained as much as I could. I mentally felt ready to compete, but once I stepped onto the wrestling mat I froze. There was a disconnected between my mind and body. I ended up with 4th place. I didn’t perform when I needed to while others did. I truly believe everything happens for a reason and this is only a bump in the road on my journey to the Olympics. I know I am the best athlete at 53kgs and I know I will be ready to compete at Olympic trials in December. I will be ready to put it all on the line. These last 4 months of hard times is only making me stronger! Throughout my journey I have experienced success and setbacks… This will not break me. My passion and determination is more powerful then anything the world can throw at me.
 
Due to my result at National Championships I will not be competing at Pan Ams Games this summer. But I still have a chance to make the world team at 55kgs, which is a non-Olympic weight class. This tournament will be held in June. I will be taking the next few weeks off and get some much needed R&R. Start my summer training off with a healthy body and soul.