There are many events in my childhood that have changed my life in little ways. One event that happened three years ago had the biggest impact in my life recently. That night in Virginia where I tore my rotator cuff; I will never forget it. Some events in life just make little changes in who a person is. Then there are those big things that change who you are and impact a life drastically. For me, I will certainly never forget tearing my rotator cuff has affected my life and how it has made me who I am today.

Swimming has a big part of the definition of my life. Now, I spend so much of my time and effort to becoming the best swimmer I can possibly be. But when my heart broke and I did not have many options, swimming was not very important to me. When I first started, my heart was obviously not into it. I was really, really, really bad; which made it were I did not enjoy swimming very much at all, like the other girls did. Before long I realized how much fun it was, what a workout it was, and how good I could become if I worked at it. Turns out my first year I swam on a relay at State. Last year, I swam in 2 relays, and 2 individual events; this year, I am hoping to medal at State. Since this is my goal, swimming really has to take a lot of my life. In other terms, going and working hard for nine practices a week, two hours each practice. I really love swimming though, and it is something I can really put my heart into. It is not like basketball, where I did not have all my heart into it and worked myself really hard. I thought basketball was going to be my big thing in my life. Now that I look back, I am glad that my injury happened.

Little did I know how much tearing my rotator cuff would affect me after my recovery. It has forever changed the athletic side of my life. That side of my life, is huge! I really started to get into basketball. I remember going into my doctors office to get my physical for the Kickapoo basketball camp. For the most part, my shoulder had healed. Obviously, not well enough. My doctor told me, “No more basketball. No sports that require you to throw anything. And no heavy contact sports. You need to avoid the risk of further injuring your shoulder.” That moment was totally devastating! I thought my heart was just going to stop beating. It had sunk very low, very quickly.
It all started when I was in Virginia, visiting two of my good friends. I am the type that is always getting hurt. Some way, somehow, I manage to injure myself. Even in the simplest activities. When I made it through a week and six days in Virginia, at a lake, without hurting myself, I felt rather accomplished.
On the last night I was there, we went to this place called “Slapshots.” This place had everything! There was an indoor soccer field, basketball court, skating rink, trampolines, mats, and a pit. Out of all of the things to do, I decided to do a front flip on a trampoline, at the end of a long mat. Both the trampoline and mat were about three feet off a concrete floor. I jumped my way down the trampoline, to the mat at the end of it. When I went to do my flip, I stuck it, and then fell forward, shoulder first, onto the floor. My shoulder was out of socket and I was in shock!
I remember how crowded the emergency room was that night. By the time all my paper work was finished, and I finally got to see a doctor, it was midnight. Next came all the “Does this hurt? Where does it hurt the most? Can you move it this way? Where does it hurt when I do this?” In my opinion, the worst part of going to the doctor is that right there. They gave me a really strong pain killer and sent me to the X-Ray room. I don’t remember much more about that night, only what my sister told me that next morning. I woke up that morning in tons of pain, my arm in a sling, and worried about catching my flight home on time. I was later told by my orthopedic specialist that I tore my rotator cuff.

That is the end of my story, as well as the end of me playing basketball. I truly am happy that all of this happened. If it did not, I would not be swimming, I would not have the same awesome friends that I do now, and most of all, I would not be the same person. Swimming is a big part of me and my life, and I’m so glad that it is!