athlete interviews
athletes coaching athletes - stories of resilience
Too many athletes struggle on the journey towards a comeback without the advantages of speaking with the veterans who have been through it before. To address that, inspiring athletes from across the globe have come together to share their story and advice for a smoother recovery
A common theme evident in all of the interviews is that the mental side of the injury is one of the highest hurdles on the road to recovery. The psychological and emotional effects of sports injuries are real. Yet too often, the mental impact is overlooked by healthcare, coaches, and teammates
Nonetheless, each and every one of these athletes have learned to grow from the experience and gained life lessons along the way. Whether you have experienced an injury personally, or have a friend, family member, or teammate on the path to recovery, we invite you to read the stories and advice shared by these athletes to learn what it is like from first-hand experience
KAYLYN was a high jumper on the Track & Field team at Baylor University, where she completed her undergraduate studies, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health. She has been active her entire life, having played multiple sports since young. She is passionate about fitness and exercise, as it helps her achieve whole wellness - mentally and physically. After tearing her achilles tendon, she is determined and motivated with a “comeback list” that she is eager to take on.
SHANTAL is a Spanish surfer who left her hometown in the Canary Islands and moved to Bali five years ago. She has always been involved in water sports, and her father was a professional windsurfer. Since she was a baby, Shantal would travel around the world with her parents, searching for the perfect wind conditions. She loves the way surfing connects her with her father - although it is not exactly the same as windsurfing, they still feel connected by the ocean. For Shantal, the waters calm her, give her energy, and means the world to her.
KRISTINA KORBS (aka KORR-A) is a music artist and entrepreneur who has always lived a very active life. She is also a performer, model, and movie producer. Kristina has always played sports, danced and loves to travel to places she has never been before. She loves her family and loves animals more than humans :) In 2013, her song”Fiyacraka” reached #18 on the Billboard Dance Club Charts, #12 on UK's Music Week Commercial Pop Charts, and #7 on the DJ Times National Dance/Crossover Charts.
ALEX BALLOU’s biggest dream was always to become a professional MMA fighter, although she felt that it took a long time for it to come together. She used to watch the UFC and thought it was incredible that people fought for a living and loved what they did. One day she reached a breaking point while stuck in traffic during her morning commute. This is when she truly realized that she was happiest while training, and at 25 years old, she felt that it was now or never if she was going to pursue her MMA dream.
JENNIFER CHRISTMAN is a 30-year old female snowboarder and mountain biker hailing from eastern Pennsylvania. By career, she is a physical therapist assistant specializing in out-patient orthopedic and neurological physical therapy.
She is a team snowboarder for Big Boulder Park, one of the best terrain parks on the east coast. Not only that, but she is also a brand ambassador for SheShreds, helping to connect likeminded females in outdoor adventure sports.
CLARECE STRUDWICK is a 19-year old athlete who has been playing football since the age of three. She grew up on a farm in Australia: 100km (one hour) from the closest town and 600km from Brisbane. She is grateful for her amazing parents who, from the time she was 10, drove on average 2,500km each week so that she could attend training and games. During her career, she has played for both her State and the Australian All-Stars team. After finishing high-school in 2017 she moved 1,500 km interstate on her own to pursue her studies and football.
LENE LYKKE is a 27 year-old athlete who lives in Uppsala, Sweden with her partner and their one year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever called Soren. She is studying at Uppsala University to become an upper secondary school teacher in Swedish and English. Her main passion in life, however, is rugby. She plays for the club Uppsala Rugby Football Club and is aiming to make a comeback in March for the Swedish Rugby XVs team in England and hopefully the 7’s team in Germany in April.
DEBORAH ORY is one of the creative geniuses behind the NYC Dance Project, which showcases the wonderful world of dance in NYC through world-renowned photography. Deborah started dancing at the age of 7, and continued to pursue this passion until she faced a stress fracture in her hip during college, which prevented her from performing. After her injury, she came across the world of photography. Little did she know that this would soon become her new passion, and would change the direction of her career.
ELLA TAYLOR-TIPTON is a 14 year-old skier from England and has been skiing since the age of 3. By the age of 5, was training at the Swadlincote Ski Centre, and competed in the Slalom Ski Race. By the age of 9, she won her first National Title. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Erewash Young Sportswoman of the Year. She is grateful for Snowsport England, Sportsaid, The Nottingham Building Society and her sponsors (The Snow Centre, Afterjam Collective and Odlo) for all their support.
SARAH DE JAEGHER discovered her passion for stand-up-paddleboarding after moving on from being a semi-professional Tango dancer. For an active individual like Sarah, who has been training in gymnastics since young, tearing her ACL and not going able to do what she loved was difficult mentally and emotionally. The experience changed her perspective so much so that she ended got a surf-tattoo on her arm to remind her of the obstacles she has conquered, and the new chapters in her life.
KATELYN AGUILAR is a 17-year old athlete in junior in high school in the US. She plays soccer and is a center forward for her high school and for her travel team, u18 Richmond Kickers Gold Pride. She started playing soccer at the age of five when her dad shared his love for the game with her. She has dreams of playing Division 1 at the University of Virginia and becoming an immigration lawyer.
LULU YANEZ is multi-sport athlete and has played varsity softball, basketball, soccer, and track & field. Marilu was an All-CIF selection in 2006, 2007 and 2008 in volleyball. She played Defensive Specialist and earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award in 2008, 2009, and 2010. She also received NEWVA Academic Team Award in 2011, and RWU Hawkmate of The Year Award 2011. Marilu was a three year starter for RWU and as a senior was Team Captain.
JULIANNA BALSELLS, 22-years old, spent 10 years as a competitive gymnast before retiring at the age of 15. She was involved in a variety of sports including track and field, soccer, basketball, softball, and played as an outside hitter in the Guatemalan volleyball team for 3 years. Later on, she found her love for calisthenics and functional training.
MARTIN KRAMPELJ is an NCAA college basketball forward at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite 3 devastating ACL tears, Krampelj refuses to give up his love for the game of basketball, and is one of the rare elite athletes to make such an extraordinary comeback, feeling stronger than ever.
ERIK OZOLLAPA is a semi-professional ice hockey player born in Latvia, and hockey has brought him around the world. Throughout his hockey career, he has played in Latvia, Germany, Switzerland, U.K., and Norway. He has made a full ACL comeback and has just scored his 50th goal for his team in Norway, the Tonsberg Vikings.
LAURA AGAN is a 23-year old athlete who played NCAA Division 1 volleyball at Northwestern State University, and then continued to play in England at the University of Nottingham while completing her masters of science degree in health psychology. She is now a Health Coach and volleyball coach for youth volleyball.
THEA FENWICK is a 17-year old freestyle skier from England and started skiing at the age of 2. Since the age of 12, she has lived abroad in Italy, USA, and Austria to train in skiing. Her goal is to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, after recovering from her ACL tear. She is passionate about fitness, and continues to train in the gym daily.
NATALIE S is the Founder of the fitness and lifestyle blog, Flexx & The City, based in New York City. She was a Division I athlete in college, and athletic activities continue to be a mainstay in her daily life. She loves to travel and find creative outlets. She is also a Behavioural Therapist for children, although she does not believe that her job defines her.
JANELLE RATTENBURY is a 23-year old athlete from Tasmania, Australia. She has represented her state in cricket, and plays AFL in the Tasmanian State League (TSL). After recovering from her ACL tear, her dream is to get back to football and cricket and win another premiership with her footy girls!
KENDALL DUNCAN started playing basketball at the age of 5 and fell in love with the game. Throughout her entire life, she had dreamed of playing women's college basketball. She recently had her 3rd ACL surgery.
CHARLOTTE CAMPBELL is a lacrosse goalkeeper and has been playing since she was around 4th grade. Since the age of 6, she has wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps.
JORDI NEWMAN was a Division I athlete in college, prior to tearing her ACL four times (an XCLevation record!) and has made a successful comeback to CrossFit. She is also a mom and small business owner of ZsaZsa & Daphnes.
KINDYLL WETTA is a sophomore in high school from Colorado and has played sports her entire life. She enjoys snowboarding and paddle boarding. Despite the devastating injury, she is not letting that stop her from her dream of playing Division 1 basketball in college.
TALIA SCHWARTZ is a fitness enthusiast, health nut, and baller from New York City. After tearing her ACL, she consulted the orthopaedic team at the hospital where she is a speech pathologist. She is now rehabbed and feeling better than ever.
KAILA PIRRIE is a mountain girl to the fullest. She has a passion for rock climbing, biking, skiing, running, and yoga - and was incredibly active prior to the ACL injury. Her current goals are to spread awareness on the benefits of veganism, and to study Thai massage.
CAMERON BROSNIHAN, from Massachusetts, is one of the youngest athletes to tear his ACL. He tore his ACL at the age of 9 playing football, and then made a successful comeback, leading his team to win the Eastern Championship!
ABBIE VOS is passionate about skiing and running and enjoyed an injury-free life, until she was faced with a devastating ACL tear, followed by a broken toe on the same leg. Despite these events, she remains positive.
CHRISTINE JOY is a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Yoga Teacher. She tore her ACL stepping out of bed, and is 2 weeks post op. She can't wait to get back to training and teaching yoga.
COURTNEY ODELEIN is a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher in Toronto. She grew up in a small town of 400 people in the middle of Saskatchewan. She is grateful for her dance teacher, Kylie Redl-Gosslin, who believed in her and always encouraged her to pursue dance.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ, 27-years old, has a passion for soccer and bodybuilding. In November 2017, he tore his ACL playing soccer and is now 11 months post-injury and 8 months post-surgery. Although he is getting back into soccer drills, he still considers himself to be in the recovery phase.
ISSIAH EVANS tore his ACL at the age of 9 and is passionate about football and basketball, His determination and hard work paid off, as he made an extraordinary comeback.
MELISSA CHAN is a finance professional who also loves Muay Thai. Before tearing her ACL, she competed as an amateur. Her knee has now recovered and she is excited to get back into the sport.
KARLY MERAU is a 19-year old professional performer and has been a cheerleader and dancer since the age of 8. She is one year and four months post injury, and eight months post-op. She is now getting back into the swing of things after the long rehab process
J.P. HERRERA is currently a pilot. Before getting into aviation, he spent 5 years as an army lientenant. He has been playing soccer since the age of 3.
J ROUNDTREE is a United States Army Veteran who loves sports (basketball, football, and baseball) and making YouTube videos. He loves to help people, even if it is only for a brief moment with a smile.
HANA BENETKOVA is a 27 year old physiotherapist from Central Europe who loves gymnastics, nature, laughter, and beer. She has made a full comeback doing gymnastics again.
DONNA MCNUTT is a mom, teacher and someone who loves being active. Her two main sports are mountain biking and road biking. Being an active person, she not only works out but also reads on a daily basis.
CAMILLE STAFFORD was a competitive gymnast for 10 years, and played soccer since she was able to walk, but ultimately chose to pursue lacrosse at a collegiate level.
JESSICA FREDERICK is a fitness enthusiast, wife, and dog Mom who enjoys helping women find their groove in a balanced healthy lifestyle. As an orthopaedic nurse, she works with patients that have ACL and other knee injuries.
CAMILLE LYU is a high school athlete with a passion for volleyball and soccer. She is known for her determination and dedication to achieve her goals. She is one-week post-op and determined to make a comeback.
KYLIE THIBODEAU-HARVEY is a 26 year old, competitive athlete and online entrepreneur. Her main focus is teaching people to think differently to improve the quality of their lives.
AMY BAKER is tore her ACL 4 times playing soccer, and has had ACL reconstructions each time. She has been playing soccer since the age of 6.
TASHA BABER is a 33-year old power-lifter who loves exercise and has lost over 80 lbs in the past two years. She does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitively, but tore her ACL as a result of a trampoline accident.
ANNETTE GRANDOLFO is 36 years old and has been playing volleyball since middle school, and has completed Tough Mudder. She currently works in mental health focused on helping children with disabilities.
OLIVIA HICKS is a 19 year old gymnast who started at the age of 6, and absolutely loves it. She is currently studying exercise and sport science, and hopes to continue to pursue a masters in strength and conditioning.
HOLLY AISTON is a 21 year old Exercise physiology student, and hopes to one day open her own clinic and help others with knee and other injuries. She is a sports fanatic, and especially loves AFL football.
ANDY ROWE is a 39-year old Assistant Chief of a firefighter department. He is also a private pilot and was previously in the army. He tore his ACL while fighting a house fire when part of the roof collapsed on his knee and is 13 weeks post-op.
BEN HARGRAVE is a lift engineer, who has always been into sports, especially football. He tore his ACL during a football match, but has made a full comeback and is back snowboarding, with no knee issues whatsoever.
CASSIE BROWN is a 19 year old professional dancer and actress. She graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts and started working as a Professional Dancer and Children’s Entertainer, before rupturing her ACL 5 months ago.
DJONAS CASTILLO fell in love with the game of basketball after being inspired by Michael Jordan and been playing since the age of 10. 6 months has passed since his ACL reconstruction, and he back playing ball 3-4x per week.