Page 29 - Team TTO PARIS 2024
P. 29

Most athletes are doing their best to manage little niggles,   It’s important to not dwell on the situation.”
            if not outright injuries and go into competition with just the
            right amount of races and training load under their belt. As   While culture is not usually part of the conversation when
            Rich-ards stressed, “you don’t want to go into the Games   we talk about how athletes pre-pare, recover and perform,
            over raced, but you don’t want to be un-der raced either.”  Richards and Gordon both insisted that as a nation we do
                                                                 our athletes a disservice by bashing them pre and post
            Gordon who battled with injuries in the latter half of his   international events like the Olympics. “If we make it to the
            career, stressed that most top ath-letes, when faced with   World Cup in football it is a big deal and celebrated as
            an injury find it hard to make the decision to not compete.   such, but it’s not the same for individual athletes. If you
            An injury has to be catastrophic - think broken ankles or a   don’t win you’re a loser. If you’re a finalist you’re a loser.
            torn achilles level of severity.                     Same if you’re a semi-finalist or a qualifier,”  said Richards.

            Australian swim legend Cate Campbell recently shared on   As a fitness enthusiast I too have experienced first hand
            IG that in the 14 months since she’s been back training for   the doubt, the fear, the anxiety and the disappointment
            the Paris Games, she has had seven cortisone injections.   that comes as a side dish to injury and recovery. I feel
            In the caption she wrote, “It’s a reminder of the daily   great pride when our athletes scale a podium but l find it
            questions, elite athletes ask of themselves. To anyone else   patently unfair when commentators who don’t rou-tinely
            struggling with injuries, keep being creative, try and stay   cover or write about our athletes start asking if they will
            positive and find a good support team.”               bring home medals and where they can come from.

            Her statement was reflected in the words of Richards who   Every athlete who dons the red, white and black this year
            was open about the work he does with his sport       in Paris would have battled through pain, injury and
            psychologist to make sure that he is mentally ready for   self-doubt to qualify for Paris 2024. Regardless of their
            whatever life and sport throws at him. When it comes to   individual results, we should celebrate their willingness to
            injuries he said, "Acceptance is the first part. You have to   endure, and to finish a race that few even dare to attempt.
            accept it for what it is, look for the first way forward andput
            together a treatment plan with your doctor and team.    Dzifa Job is a communications professional, television presenter, sports agent,
                                                                 writer and fitness enthusiast.













































                                                             27
   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34