ONE of the things that life hits us with is when we go through unexpected circumstances, halting our passions just like a game where all our strategies have been meticulously planned. We can never avoid a sudden shift, eventually forgetting that we might slip a step or two to get there.  And for these athletes. Despite the fall, they always get back up and start again. 

A New Perspective on Resilience 

When someone says they are resilient, most people think that they can overcome the challenges headed their way with ease, but what if it means to completely shift our perspective when the journey goes downhill? 

The injuries sustained from sudden movements or the risk taken to secure victory create sudden fears and mental toil with the looming question if this is the end. or the beginning for an athlete to see their sport in a new light. 

Jean Peter Macareg (I BACMS) who has been playing basketball since he was five, sustained an injury that tore his lateral meniscus on his right knee and shifted his entire perspective towards the sport. For him, the road to recovery was not easy, however, the real challenge for him was his thoughts and his questions about coming back to the sport he loves or whether it would be the end of his journey as an athlete. 

But as time went by during his recovery, through his strong support system, loved ones and the people around him encouraged Macareg to keep on going, and that helped maintain his resilience and overcome such obstacles that got him back to playing basketball. 

 Patience, an Athlete's virtue  

          Another obstacle that sets an athlete back is the limitations they face as they recover creating a great frustration towards their injury holding them down. The athletes who are often benched, or asked to take a break due to their physical pain hinder them from giving out a great performance. 

Often being held back leads the individual to lose their eagerness to play a very long waiting game with the constant thought as to when can one get back in the game, however reaching a goal takes patience and this was a common thought among the athletes.

          With an overstretched anterior cruciate ligament tear, recovery for volleyball player Robert Josh Aquino (II BSE) poses both mental and physical challenges as he faces the fear of the end of one’s athletic journey. But despite the worries during his time of recovery, he endured the anxieties and pain he faced and created a mindset where he shifts his perspective into a more positive light, he sees this recovery as a way for him to come back stronger than ever. 

        For Samantha Asuncion (IV BAIS) the road of recovery from sustaining a knee injury has led her to feeling disheartened not being able to execute the stunts the way she wanted to. She felt that she was not able to contribute the very best to her team. As part of the cheer squad, she instilled a mindset by envisioning her time to heal and drawing motivation from her teammates which fueled her determination to persevere. Her injury had given her frustration, and so she focused on her recovery progress. Her moment of rest has become the driving force for her to never give up and to maintain a positive mindset that aided her to become resilient and stronger than ever. 

Despite the challenges, these athletes prove their love and commitment to the game and their experiences have served as a ray of optimism as well as a reminder that in everything that we do whether it is a sport, our academics, or our passions, we must remember that good things take time. We may fail the first time but it serves as an opportunity to reflect on what we can do to improve. And at the end of the day, we must learn to rest, but we must never allow ourselves to give up.