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A Gold Medal for My Physiotherapist and I - By Jeff Edwards
It was my final year of high school. I had been working toward this goal for the previous five years. I was a track and field athlete; my event was the pole vault, and my vision - to be the best in Ontario.
The pole vault is a highly technical event that involves using a fiberglass pole to jump over a crossbar 5 to 6 meters above the ground. Now the key to success is to steadily build up speed with this weapon in your hands, and gradually lower the pole. Ideally, when the runway ends, you’re sprinting at top speed and the tip of the pole has been positioned into a doormat-sized trough in the ground. Once you’ve done that, the trough can be used as a leverage point where you bend the fiberglass and flip your body upside-down and wait for the pole to uncoil. The fun part begins when the pole starts to unbend. The energy it contains will help to sling your body feet first into the clouds, over the crossbar and onto soft foam pads. What a great sport!
After the first two qualifying meets, everything was going according to plan. I was ranked high, I had a good coach, and I was continuing to improve in practice. Unfortunately, one day, the master plan came to a crashing halt. During a practice jump, as I came down “out of the clouds” and over the bar, I landed on the mats awkwardly and rolled my right ankle. I heard a loud “snap” that resounded across the track. The ankle immediately began to swell as if a garden hose had been joined to my lower leg and infused it with gallons of fluid. I could hardly walk and went to the hospital immediately to get an X-ray. Luckily, the ankle wasn’t broken but they told me that I had likely sustained ligament damage.
The day following “the accident” I met RT, my physiotherapist. He confirmed that I had suffered a ligament injury and called it a 2nd degree ankle sprain. He also jokingly expressed how impressed he was with the amount of bruising I had sustained – my lower leg and foot now looked as if I had dipped it in a vat of black tar. RT showed a great deal of confidence in his ability to rehabilitate my ankle and indicated the importance of starting immediately. Together, we worked hard to make the ankle stronger while also focusing on getting the pain and swelling under control. I started to see some incredible improvements and in the days leading up to the championship meet, he gave me balance drills and jumping activities that simulated my event. I attended physiotherapy daily for two weeks leading up to the provincial championships and returned with a gold medal around my neck. My goal had finally been realized thanks, in large part, to the drive and dedication of my physiotherapist.
This experience affected my life dramatically. Seven years later, I would reach another goal - become a registered physiotherapist so that I can help others get stronger and achieve success.
Jeff Edwards
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