Or, a better title: Three Knees to Root for this Olympics
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Let’s dive in to three Olympic stories to inspire your rehab. Plus, I’ll weave in their takeaways and give you 5 tips on how to come back from injury like an Olympian.
Mallory Swanson
Mal tore her patella in April of 2023. She underwent surgery, then ended up with a second surgery to handle a pretty severe infection.
Her main takeaway?
When talking about this on the Snacks podcast, Mal said, “Just keep on keepin’ on. It’s super simple. Eventually the hard times and adversity will pass. It doesn’t get easier, but it will pass.”
I think Mallory can give us a crucial reminder that injuries suck, and they always kinda suck, and the time will pass, and we will get through.
It can also be important when stuck in crux of a long rehab to remember that a lot can happen with time. Let’s note that Mallory signed (what was at the time) the biggest deal in the NWSL less than a year after her injury.
You can watch Mallory and the USWNT take the pitch in Paris on July 25th vs Zambia.
Brody Malone
On his high bar dismount at the DTB Cup in Germany last year, Brody tore multiple ligaments in his knee and fractured his tibia.
Three surgeries later, and despite a couple doubtful doctors and coaches, Brody showed up to U.S. Championships in June in peak form.
Watch him stick that same high bar dismount and let out a triumphant yell; a celebration we usually don’t see from a typically reserved guy.
Goosebumps.
His takeaway: “You gotta have confidence in yourself that you can do it.”
More importantly, Brody stressed his little, achievable daily goals that helped get him through. More on this later.
After a bit of a disappointing run in Tokyo, and this massive comeback, I’m sure Brody will be one to watch in Paris. (Fun fact: our men’s gymnastics team miiiight be able to pull off a team medal this year, too. The first one since 2008.)
Men’s competition begins with the team qualifier on July 27th (also where Brody can qualify for individual all-around and event finals).
Jordyn Poulter
Full disclosure here: I have a contract with USA Volleyball separate from this practice, but I was not the main dietitian to see her through this recovery.
That being said, I’ve gotten an up-close-and-personal view of this process for her, and I know she wouldn’t mind me saying (because I asked her at practice the other day!) that Jordyn is a complete badass.
This comeback was gnarly, and, honestly, super inspiring to watch.
While playing professionally overseas in December 2022, Jordyn tore four ligaments in her knee plus some meniscus damage.
I asked her what she’d want injured athletes to know:
“I came out of this injury in the best shape of my life because of the recovery duration [18 months]. I was allotted a long runway to recalibrate some lifestyle habits. I got to chip away at my goals instead of feeling like I need to rush it and restrict.”
Now, of course, I love that golden nugget, but I think there’s something more important here to note about Jordyn’s story.
In multiple interviews, Jordyn has mentioned how difficult it was to do this rehab without her team.
If you didn’t know, most of our national team athletes play professional volleyball in Europe, Asia, or South America for 7 to 8 months every year, and then come to California every summer to take on the grueling USA season.
No off-season!!
Because of that, there was a huge chunk of time where Jordyn was the only athlete in the USA gym, and for many of these days, it was just her and our team physical therapist.
The people that surround you in this process are everything, and even if they’re not physically there with you, it’s important to open up to them.
My challenge for you is to tell the truth when people ask how you are. Like Mallory said earlier, sometimes this suck. Allow your friends and family and support staff to sit in the mud with you.
Volleyball is ALL about communication with your team, and I want you to bring that energy to your rehab as well.
Pool play for Team USA starts with China on July 29th.
Fun fact! You can also watch Jordyn play professionally in the United States this year with the debut season of League One Volleyball.
5 Tips to Help You Rehab Like an Olympian
- Track your biodata for patterns
More than just your weight! Give yourself tangible numbers for things like swelling, mood, motivation, strength, range of motion, effort. What symptoms pop up in various phaess of your cycle? Do any meals make a difference? Etc.
On bad days, data can help you see progress when it feels like you’ve been standing still for months. Or, data can help you see that you HAVE been standing still for months, and maybe it’s time to try something new.
- Get multiple opinions and find athlete-centered providers
More than three opinions can be confusing, but a second opinion is totally okay! Plus, ask your providers how they are getting you back to your athletic function, not just every day layman function.
- Periodize your nutrition and supplements
This is such a long process, and usually we’re breaking it into smaller sections, each with a specific goal. We can bring specific, tailored nutrition practices in to help with that goal.
- Load management is your friend
You’re tracking your data, and you’re breaking the process into smaller sections, but the plan won’t always go as planned. Recognizing when you need to take a break, or trusting your sports med team when they tell you we need to pause, is something I guarantee all of these athletes were doing.
- You have 2 projects
The first is 1-4. Learn everything you can about YOUR body and how YOU operate during this time. The second is to become comfortable with who you are outside of your sport.
Find something to do just for fun. Maybe you want to learn to cook. Maybe you want to paint or knit. Maybe you’re going to trivia every Tuesday because it’s competitive and at least it’s SOMETHING right now.
Bonus: What you can learn from Simone Biles, her mom, and her hair.
In the Netflix documentary that just came out about Simone, there is a scene where Simone’s mom is braiding her hair before a competition. Apparently, they have always done this.
Simone could do it herself, of course, but imagine what it must feel like for her. She is under immense pressure. She is expected to win.
But for a few moments she gets to take a deep breath and relax into the rhythm of her mother doing her hair.
To sum it up
Don’t miss Mallory Swanson on the pitch, Brody Malone in the gym, and Jordyn Poulter on the court.
And let me know what athletes I’m missing on this list! Who’s made a comeback that we should have our eyes on?
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