How Audrey Defied the Odds
Audrey tore her ACL in the spring of her junior year of high school soccer. What followed was a year-long recovery that tested her body, her identity, and her mindset. She began strength training with us approximately 2½ months after her surgery and continued throughout her recovery and return to play. Now she’s beginning her first year of college soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
In her own words, here is Audrey’s journey from ACL tear to college play.
The Injury
“When I found out that my ACL and meniscus were torn, I knew my worst nightmare had come true.”
Audrey
When did you tear your ACL? What part of the season, and what grade were you in?
I tore my ACL in the spring of my junior year during my high school season.
How did you feel, and what were your thoughts, immediately after tearing your ACL?
When I tore my ACL, I heard a pop and immediately had excruciating pain that sent a numbness through my leg. I got subbed off, and our athletic trainer did an ACL test on me, but at the time, it was too hard to tell exactly what was wrong. The pain had stopped once I had ice on it, but when I tried to put weight on my leg, I knew something was off.
At that moment, after I got home, I knew I had to prepare for the worst. I was scared, confused, and unsure of what was going to happen next. As an athlete, you spend so much time thinking about your next game, your next practice, or what you can do to get better. Suddenly, all of that was taken away, and I didn’t know when I would be able to do those things again.
Were you confident that you would return immediately after finding out your ACL was torn, or were there hesitations?
When I found out that my ACL and meniscus were torn, I knew my worst nightmare had come true. No, I was not confident in myself coming back. ACL injuries are a different type of injury. It is a slow and long recovery, and everyone recovers differently from it, so the uncertainty was real.
I didn’t know what my future looked like with soccer. I was also trying to get recruited at this time, so you can imagine the phone calls I had to have with coaches telling them that I was going to be out for a year and miss my final club season as a senior. That was one of the hardest parts because I was trying to reach the next level in soccer, and suddenly I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to play again.
The Recovery
“Recovery isn’t a straight line, and there were days when I felt like I was making so much progress only to struggle with something I thought should have been easy.”
Audrey
What role would you say strength training played in your recovery, both physically and mentally?
I would say my strength training played a massive role in my recovery. Not only was it going to be able to push myself and break a sweat but it felt good to accomplish a new thing every time I was either getting a new best in my bench or squat. Having that success helped me push myself more and helped my progress move faster by getting stronger. It also helped me feel more stable when I was first being cleared to cut and jump. I felt strong enough so that boosted my confidence in that as well. That was the mental piece of it. Learning to trust my body again in its capability. As I got stronger I got more confident in my body and what it could do.
Was there a specific milestone that stood out, like walking unassisted, your first jog, or your first cut or pivot?
Each milestone is a big milestone because you only move forward after you can accomplish the milestone before it. Lots of people stay at a certain stage during recovery because they don’t react the same way to doing certain things.
For me, it was starting and stopping. I got cleared to run, which at the time was the best news I could possibly have gotten. But after I became comfortable jogging, I had to learn my quick starts and stops again. As a soccer player, those are vital.
This milestone was hard because my brain was always trying to tell my body what to do based on what I used to be able to do. But my body wasn’t able to do the things my brain wanted it to do. It was a hard and frustrating adjustment. Your brain tells you to go, but your body is seconds slower to react, or is cautious about moving in that way. I had to learn to trust my body again.
Who or what kept you going? Did you lean on teammates, family, or your athletic trainer differently than before?
My parents were a massive help to me, along with my friends. We celebrated every possible win, whether that meant simply being able to lift my leg up ten times that day or eventually being able to run a mile.
My family and friends knew how hard this was on me and were there for me on the good days and through the bad days, because there were more hard times than good times. That’s why having the support system I had was so vital to my recovery. They helped remind me that even when I felt like I wasn’t making progress, I actually was.
Were there setbacks during recovery that made you question yourself?
There were definitely days when I questioned myself. Recovery isn’t a straight line, and there were days when I felt like I was making so much progress only to struggle with something I thought should have been easy. Those moments were frustrating because I wanted my body to move at the same speed as my mind.
There were also days when I simply didn’t want to go to rehab or strength training. I wanted to feel normal again, and sometimes it felt like the process was taking forever. Those were the days when I had to remind myself that one bad day didn’t mean I was failing. I had to keep showing up and trust the process.
The Return
“I knew that my body was capable of doing what I needed it to do.”
Audrey
How long was it before you were able to play again?
It was about a year before I was able to fully return to playing. That year felt extremely long at times, especially because I was watching everyone else continue playing while I was working toward getting back on the field.
I had to be patient and trust that every day of rehab, every lift, and every difficult exercise was getting me one step closer to playing again.
Was there a defining point in your recovery when you realized you were going to make a comeback?
I realized I was going to make it back when I had my first non-contact practice. I got to do some things with my team, which I was so excited about. During that session, I was running off so much adrenaline and excitement that I wasn’t worried about my mistakes or how well I was doing. I was just so excited to be back on the field, touching the ball, and being a part of the sport that I’ve always loved.
Once I saw myself doing the things I knew I was capable of doing, I realized that I could still be the player I’ve always wanted to be and continue chasing the dream I’ve had since I was a little girl.
How were you feeling during your first game back? Was there hesitation or nervousness about your knee?
My first game back was during my last high school season as a senior, and I was feeling every emotion possible. I was extremely excited to finally be back on the field, but there was also a part of me that was nervous. After spending so much time thinking about my knee, it was impossible not to wonder if it would hold up.
At the same time, I didn’t want fear to control how I played. I had worked for so long to get back to that moment, and I wanted to enjoy it. Being back on the field, wearing my uniform, and playing the sport I loved was something I had imagined throughout my entire recovery.
Was there a moment during that game, or another game, that helped you feel more confident?
The first time I had to go into a tackle during that game, I slide-tackled someone. Now, my coach—who is also my mom—was pissed, yes. But after that tackle, I knew that my body was capable of doing what I needed it to do.
It wasn’t just my body, though. My mind was finally able to handle that confidence in my ability to play again. That moment showed me that I wasn’t the same player who had gotten injured. I had become a stronger and more confident athlete because of everything I had gone through.
Looking Back
“When you show up on the days you don’t want to go, when that’s the last thing you want to do, that’s when progress is made.”
Audrey
Did being injured change how you saw yourself as an athlete, or change your relationship with the sport?
Being injured definitely changed how I saw myself as an athlete. Before my injury, I think I took being able to play soccer for granted. I didn’t realize how much of my identity and happiness came from simply being able to step on the field.
After my injury, I learned that being an athlete isn’t only about what you can do physically. It’s also about your mindset, your discipline, and how you respond when things don’t go your way. My relationship with soccer became even stronger because I realized how much I truly loved the game. Being away from it made me appreciate every practice, every game, and every opportunity to play.
Is there anything you wish you would have known while going through this recovery?
I wish I knew that there were going to be days when I just wanted to give up and not go to rehab or strength training. But when you show up on the days you don’t want to go, when that’s the last thing you want to do, that’s when progress is made.
It’s not only good to push your body through that, but my mental strength is now ten times stronger than it was before. My willingness to do things when I don’t want to do them is one of the main reasons why I’m in the position I am in today.
If you want to get back, you just have to show yourself that it is possible. You do that by pushing when every thought is telling you to stop.
In your opinion, what was the most important thing that led to your success during recovery?
My grit and my mental strength. My grit to put myself through the hard days, and to constantly remind myself of why I was doing this, was the only way I got through that long process.
It’s hard. You’re going to have people in your life who try to support you, but they don’t fully know what it’s like unless they’ve been through it themselves. At the end of the day, only you know what you’re going through, and how you choose to push yourself is going to affect your recovery. You have to be willing to keep going even when you don’t feel like it.
Based on your experience, what should other athletes look for in a strength training program during ACL recovery?
They should look for the joy you get out of moving your body again. I was able to actually feel good and accomplish a workout. It’s a way to switch from soccer being your outlet to pushing yourself in the gym. Being able to feel better after that workout that might’ve kicked your butt was always what I was looking for. It helped me feel like I was improving because you can see your progress if you stick with it and be consistent. Seeing that progress helps you push through the mental part of the recovery. There were hard days, but that’s when your progress shows because you push through those days.
Is there anything about the recovery you’re now grateful for?
Once I got cleared to start weight training, that’s when I became grateful for that part of the recovery. I got stronger than I had ever been before. I felt strong in my injured knee and in my other knee (the one I didn’t tear).
Going to the weight room and breaking a sweat was very healthy for me because I’ve always been a person who likes to move. Now that I was able to push my body in a different way, I came out of the recovery with so many physical and mental benefits. As hard as the process was, I realized it helped me become a stronger athlete.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with other athletes going through this recovery?
This process is hard. There’s no other way to say it. It pushes you to your limits, and it will set you back. But you get to decide how you determine your outcome after all of it. You get to decide how you react to this traumatic situation.
You have support, and you’re not alone when it comes to people being there for you, but you have to be able to hold yourself up and tell yourself that you are capable. Constantly remind yourself why you are pushing yourself every day.
What do you want after all of this is over, and how do you make that possible? That’s what gets you through it.
You grind through it now, and you can look back and respect yourself for everything you overcame later. You can do the hard things.
Things to Keep in Mind When Training During ACL Recovery
No two knees recover at the same pace, and a strength program built around an ACL recovery has to change as often as the athlete does. What Audrey could safely load two months after surgery looked nothing like what she could handle at six, and that’s true for almost anyone working through this injury.
Our focus early on is always watching and listening to how the knee actually responds to each exercise, not how fast an athlete wants to progress. Form is always important, but with an ACL recovery, it’s critical. The want for progress can never exceed the reality of what the body can handle that day. That means watching for and correcting knee valgus (the knee caving inward), talking through pain levels after every session, and understanding the difference between expected discomfort, normal soreness, and pain that means you’re pushing too hard. Those distinctions are what keep your comeback on track instead of setting it back.
For Audrey specifically, we’re grateful for the communication and partnership we had with her physical therapist, Marissa Cain at Atrium Health, throughout that process, and even more grateful to have been part of her comeback.