During last cross country season, junior Zoe Fisher ran and did exercises like any other track runner in training. Until one day she noticed a very sharp pain in her lower back. Since it was the beginning of the season, she paid no attention to it, but as the season went on, the pain got progressively worse.
After taking a trip to the doctor, she was informed that she had either a broken hip or a slipped disk. After a long MRI, the results didn't show anything. She said she knew something was wrong, and her coaches told her not to run the rest of the season.
When this year's spring track season started, the same pain returned. This time, she asked for help from Warren’s athletic trainer. She later find out that her hip joint that connects to her back is shifted out of place. Her muscles aren’t strong enough to keep the joint in place, so as of now, she has to strengthen her muscles in that area to keep the joint in place.
“To train my body, I see the school's athletic trainers and do a few stretches and exercises to strengthen my body for this running season,” Fisher said. “On top of that, I also run shortened workouts apart from my teammates so that I can take this healing process slow so things don’t get worse.”
During her training, Fishers coaches have been limiting her on what her body is capable of so she won’t strain during the season. While injury keeps her at a disadvantage, it only leaves room for a strong mental base to build.
“While being injured has made my mental strength a lot stronger,” Fisher said. “I've taught myself I can’t give up on little things. This is a minor set back, but I’m training to be a stronger athlete both physically and mentally. Physically it is a little exhausting and at times it hurts pretty bad, but it’s all in the training and mentality.”