How a Torn ACL Changed My Life

In August of 2019, I suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the second day of varsity soccer training camp. This devastated me, as not only would I miss out on playing on the varsity soccer team, but I would also not be able to continue refereeing ice hockey at competitive levels for one year. Instead of being weighed down by my injury and focusing on the upcoming operation and eight to twelve-month rehabilitation period, I have decided to take a positive approach and see if I could learn anything from this experience.

Here is what I learned:

• Find meaning in the things you can do. Learning how to walk again was the first thing I experienced at university. This was extremely exciting as once my knee was able to bear enough weight to walk, I would spend hours walking every single day. I practiced my technique continuously until my knee was too sore to walk any longer. Being able to walk again meant the world to me. Finding meaning in the things that I was able to do has filled me with the hope and motivation necessary to keep working hard and has been key to staying mentally healthy throughout the recovery process. Do not let the negative aspects of your life define you. Try playing a sport, volunteering for a meaningful cause or even just being friendly towards people you have never met before, continuously look for ways to give your life meaning and use it as motivation to become a better person.
• You must do things right in order to succeed. Similarly, to preparing for an exam or project, recuperating from an injury takes a lot of hard work. Countless hours of physiotherapy and exercising, has led me to realize that to be the most effective at anything you do, you must do things properly. When learning how to walk again, I initially tried to walk in the least painful and the fastest way that I could. I quickly learned that the only way I was going to be able to walk normally in the future, was to deal with the pain and walk properly. This translates to studying. Students focus on doing a large amount of work in a short period of time and often sacrifice quality for quantity. Although it may take longer or be more tedious, practicing good study habits pays dividends and leads to success in the long run.
• Challenge yourself. One of the most difficult parts about a having a torn ACL is that there is an extremely challenging and frustrating rehabilitation period. It is physically and mentally draining and can be very difficult to cope with. Through this experience, I have learned that the challenge of recovering has brought the best out of me. It has forced me to be stronger and to elevate myself in order to deal with problems more effectively. I have directly translated this into a classroom setting, where I continuously look for new ways to challenge myself and to expand my knowledge and skill set. In almost all circumstances the more challenging path is the more rewarding path and the hard work and time you dedicate will always be rewarding in the future. Find ways to challenge yourself such as playing a sport you have never played before or entering a competition full of upper-year students and see what you can learn.
• Life is not always going to be easy. Just when everything in my life was coming together, I was hit with a reality check. This injury humbled me and taught me that although things are going well, they can change in an instance and I must be adaptive and flexible in order to succeed in my new environment. For me this meant learning how to both, tie my shoes when I could hardly reach them and carry things while walking with crutches. Although it was initially challenging, I soon became proficient in performing both tasks through practicing continuously. When things do not go your way, you must adapt to the situation and craft a unique approach to the problem in order to reach your desired output. Whether it be a difficult problem on a test or an unexpected event in your life, you must be able to think critically and creatively and work hard to be the most effective that you can be in any circumstance.
• Stay positive. It is extremely important to stay positive and to look at things from an optimistic perspective. When I tore my ACL, I was devastated because of all the opportunities that I would miss out on. Despite this I chose to focus on all the opportunities that I would now have time for. Being injured has allowed me to spend more time on my education, on my ideas and with my friends. Instead of pitying myself, I took this opportunity to better myself and make improvements in my life. Although it can be difficult to stay positive during challenging times, it is extremely important to making the most of the scenario at hand. For example, learn from a bad job interview or a missed assignment and use it to find ways to improve yourself to succeed in the future. Always try and find the positive side of any situation.
• Trust the experts. Whether it be your coaches, your professors or your physiotherapist, trust them, they are qualified and know best. There have been numerous instances where my physiotherapist has told me to do exercises that I felt uncomfortable doing. Initially the exercises felt incredibly awkward and even hurt, but after time, they became easy and were critical to strengthening properly. Whether you are unsure about how to approach a certain question in the textbook, or how to prepare yourself for your future career opportunities, talk to your professors and fellow peers and trust their judgement and knowledge. learn from their experiences to better prepare yourself. 
• Have a strong support group. Whether it be a group of friends or co-workers, have people who you can connect with and talk to about your problems. Dealing with the mental side of recovery has been very difficult and being able to talk about it with people who have had similar experiences has been incredibly valuable and has positively contributed to my rehabilitation. If you are struggling to keep up with your work or if you are worried about not having enough time do the things you enjoy, talk to those around you about what you are dealing with. They will be able to guide you with their experiences and will be more than willing to support you in any way that they can.

Although I am still only beginning my recovery, and the more difficult parts are still to come, I feel confident that I will be able to excel in any situation I encounter because of the lessons that I have learned from this experience.