By: Hayley P.
Hi, my name is Hayley. I am on a track team for my school. At our first meet I was running an 800 (two laps) when I was rounding the corner on my second lap, that’s when it happened. I tore my ACL.
I finished the race though my time was 3:23. I had to have help off the field when I got to sit my knee was already starting to swell.
After the meet I went to a hospital, I had to wait a long time before they told me what happened to my leg. When they told me that I had torn my ACL, I was devastated. I was out for the rest of the season. That was the worst thing in the world to hear. It was my first meet; this wasn’t supposed to happen to me.
The doctors put my leg into a leg immobilizer. I had to wear it for about a month. I could not bend my leg at all at school. It was a really hard. People stared at me all the time. I’m not going to lie at times I did feel like a freak.
All of my friends were on the track team so when I got hurt and couldn’t go to practice and run, I was alone. Yeah, I had my family but not my friends. It’s hard when everybody could do stuff that I wasn’t able to do. I couldn’t help feeling like an outcast.
It’s hard not being the person who is fast or not being the person who could have gone to nationals and state. It was hard not being the person who could have done all that stuff. I wanted to with all my heart but I couldn’t.
When I got the leg immobilizer off I was allowed to walk but not run. By the last track meet the doctors told me I could run again I was so happy! When it was time for my race, I was called to the track to run. I got into my position and then the starter said “on your mark, get set” then he fired the gun and we were all off. When I started to run it hurt but I didn’t stop. When I was about to start my second lap, that’s when it happened…my knee gave out.
My teammates helped me out of the race and they helped me walk. The guys on my team were supportive and so were the girls but I want to give a lot of credit to the guys. They were about to run and most of them came to make sure I was ok. I love my team and my team loves me. My knee will be better this year as long as I take it easy.
Here is my message to you: when you feel like it wont get better, it will. It just takes time.
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