It’s one thing trying to make the most of a short playing career in football, but when faced with debilitating injury, that’s a whole different story. Guest writer FC Bulleen Lions’ Lia Privitelli tells her story…
Injuries are no fun at all. From a sprained joint to a broken bone, any injury is going to lead to frustration, and – especially in my experience – it can come in many different forms, manifesting itself through a combination of angry outbursts, reckless actions or even moments of sheer determination.
Being injury prone has led me on a long journey dictated by emotion. After two years of pretending I was fine despite feeling constant pain, I was diagnosed with Femoroacetabular Impingement (hip bones that don’t quite fit together perfectly), a torn Ligamentum Teres and Labrum in both my hips. My bones were damaged like badly grinding car gears. While some would find such a diagnosis a little disheartening, I was oddly excited and relieved to be finally able to get myself fixed.
Of the risks presented by surgery, the possibility of never being able to play competitive soccer again stood out above all others. But with every risk comes opportunity. There was no way I was going to let myself down. I was going to prove my surgeon wrong. I promised myself I was going to play again and come back better than ever. After back-to-back surgeries, it was time to begin rehab – literally the day after I got out of hospital. Although I slept most of the day, I woke up with family by my side encouraging me to start my exercise regime. I was determined.
Spending months on crutches didn’t stop me from being active. Even though I was told strictly not to get into a car for at least a month unless when visiting my physio, I made my sister drive me to soccer training to see the girls a week after my second surgery. Two months post operation and still on crutches, I went to a university camp and slept on the floor – talk about irresponsibility!
Thankfully, my rehabilitation went smoothly. I did everything I was told to do. Whilst I pushed my body, I also learned to listen to it to avoid aggravating any injuries – something I continue to do today. I lost 4cm off both my legs and lost close to 6kg weight overall after my surgery. It was eight months before I could start running, and took about a year and a half before I could play my game without any hesitation.
I saw my physio twice a week for many months to teach me to walk properly again. My walk gradually developed into a jog, which finally turned into a sprint. I had a new stride, my gait was different, and I felt somewhat faster than I had before. I regained my previous weight before adding on another four kilos. My legs were bigger and I finally had muscle development and activation in my muscles.
Many people find rehabilitation boring and frustrating. I totally agree. But it’s more frustrating being prevented from playing the game you love. There were many tears and unnecessary outbursts of anger throughout my journey – I once threw a chicken drumstick at my sister and burst into tears after a heated exchange. To stay sane, I would sneakily play kick to kick with friends, making them swear not to tell anyone, especially my mum!
If you stay determined, you can achieve anything. I had two goals for the start of this year: To cross my legs like a schoolkid in primary school – which I lost the ability to do –, and be a starting player for the Senior FC Bulleen Lions squad again. Both goals were achieved! The key was to set small and achievable goals within an achievable time-frame. Then you need to do everything in your power to achieve this. It sounds cliché but it’s not an easy thing to do. You have days where your mood and motivation fluctuates. Therefore, it’s also important to surround yourself with people who believe in you and can supply unconditional support.
This year I made it through 13 rounds of the WPL, my longest season in three years. It was so much fun and I loved every minute of it. Yet as Murphy’s Law would have it, that wasn’t the end of my ordeal. I got injured again, breaking my toe while jumping for a header, unmarked with nobody around me. Talk about sheer bad luck. I was put in a moon boot for five weeks and missed the rest of the 2014 season. This was extremely frustrating, but what could I do? Again, I was determined to not give up, as I had been through worse. My pre-season for 2015 commenced when I was a put in that moon boot.
I’m the type of person with endless energy, so sitting and waiting for something to heal really wasn’t my cup of tea. I did all that I could without putting pressure on my toe, including spending countless hours at the gym looking silly in that damn boot. Four months have now passed and I’m finally fully healed, touch wood. I’m currently seeing my physio regularly as well as a strength coach to aid in my injury prevention program for the 2015 season.
I was initially apprehensive about writing about myself. While this piece may read like a success story in terms of a personal struggle against injury, I hope it can also provide an insight into the power of determination for others experiencing similar plights. Being injured sucks, but over my journey I’ve learnt a lot about how to physically and mentally deal with setbacks and grow as an individual. So to anyone struggling with an injury or bound to a tough or tedious rehabilitation program, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and no matter how many times you get knocked down, remember to keep plugging away at achieving your goals and working hard for yourself.