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What an injury means to a professional athlete

For professional athletes, injuries come with the territory. Most will have to deal with an injury at some point in their athletic career. Tough times are a reality of professional sports and these serve as a reminder of how amazing the life of an athlete

For professional athletes, injuries come with the territory. Most will have to deal with an injury at some point in their athletic career. Tough times are a reality of professional sports and these serve as a reminder of how amazing the life of an athlete really is.

This is the case for professional triathlete and ORCA ambassador, Richard Murray, who, after being diagnosed with a heart condition last June, has the following to say about practicing his favorite sport: “Triathlon is such an amazing sport. Not only do we get to travel the world, meet amazing people, and do what we love, but we also get to experience so much while doing so.”

Setbacks such as injuries are life's way of challenging us and motivating us all the more to do what we love. This sentiment is best put into words by Murray, “I realize that this part of my life is here to challenge me and I will do what I can to move forward, both in sports and in life.”

“The pressure to race and perform will always be there. I know that I need to keep working to find out what I can fix and how I can safely do what I love,” he adds. The South African triathlete points out that sponsorships are very important for professional athletes: “Performance in the water for me is vital to racing well. I am very lucky to have the support from Orca to help me do this,” he concludes.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR

How can an injury psychologically affect a professional athlete? Sports psychologist at the Sant Cugat High Performance Center (Barcelona), Eduardo Amblar, helps us answer this question with advice based on his own professional experience.

When an athlete suffers a serious injury, “if you don't know how to manage the situation correctly, besides affecting sports activity, symptoms can appear that will also affect the athlete's personal, family and social life.” That is, if an injury is not properly managed, negative thoughts, social isolation, mood swings, fear, anger, and insecurity can all rear their ugly heads. Symptoms like these, according to Amblar, will affect the athlete personally, their family and their social life.

“If these symptoms persist over time, even their recovery will be affected, since a depressed mood can slow recovery from injury,” says the sports psychologist. It is important to remember that, in the athletic field, injury is one of the situations that affects an athlete psychologically the most. This is no wonder as Amblar points out, “an athlete lives by and for their sport, and this type of setback can greatly destabilize their overall mood.”

When confronted with delicate situations like these, the CAR Sant Cugat expert highlights several techniques that can help a professional athlete get their confidence back. First, he believes that “the work must follow evidence-based practices regarding injuries and the recovery process.” This is because, “uncertainty generates more anxiety and the more information we have about the extent of the injury, the better,” he says.

The next step is to find strategies that allow the athlete to maintain their normal routine from before their injury as closely as possible. For example, their regular workouts, meal times, rest, etc. The focus is not to stray from the working dynamic they had prior to the injury.

Finally, together with their doctor, physiotherapist, and coach, the athlete will set their progress goals for the entire recovery process. These goals allow the athlete to be involved in this process. “The idea is for them to clearly understand the steps to their recovery and what work they will have to put in during each different phase,” the sports psychologist concludes.

THE ROLE OF THE PHYSIOTHERAPIST 

Physiotherapists also play a very important role in the life of a professional athlete, such as triathlete Richard Murray. His physical therapy center has seen numerous athletes come to receive treatment for their injuries or simply to recover after intense and demanding training or competitions.

Physiotherapist at Centro Fisiològic and specialist at runner's clinic Clínica del Corredor, Víctor Millán explains that “most injuries are caused by overload.” In the case of professional athletes, “achilles tendinitis, patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia patellae (CMP or “runner's knee,”) and athletic pubalgia (sports hernias) are common.” Among triathletes, in addition to runners' injuries, “rotator cuff tendinitis” is also seen frequently, Millán adds.

In many cases, as the first professional to treat an athlete when an injury occurs, physiotherapists also inadvertently serve as emotional support. More than anything, this is because the athlete is still coming to terms with the fact that they have been injured. “In many cases, physiotherapy, which includes health education regarding pain management, has a beneficial impact on the psychology of the athlete,” the expert explains. Despite this, he adds that, “physiotherapists should not act as psychologists, but we should know how to refer to these professionals in case we see a need for it.”

We often discuss the resilience of professional athletes, that is, their ability to adapt in the face of adversity, such as injuries. Millán highlights this trait, because “the higher the level of self-discipline an athlete has, the greater their resilience when it comes to injury.” This is because their athletic goals, professional reputation, and livelihood, such as sponsorships and scholarships, are all at stake. “There are many reasons to face an injury situation head-on, from a place of strength, although this can also sometimes lead to more anxiety, which does not help in the recovery process,” he says.

In short, for athletes like Richard Murray, an injury is a bump in the road for their athletic career, but their resilience and physical tolerance allows them to keep fighting to be able to practice a sport as special and sanctified as triathlon.

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