In 2018, I was in a car accident that left me with a compound compression fracture. My future on the field was uncertain. For four years, doctors told me I was too young for back surgery, and despite undergoing various treatments, nothing seemed to work. In 2021, I made the decision to have the surgery, knowing it would be my personal Mount Everest. I was determined to get back in the game, tired of watching from the sidelines.
It was a long road, but I focused on the journey—taking one step at a time, concentrating on progress rather than the destination. In 2022, I faced a setback with nerve pain, but a year later, I was back in the game, though my work wasn’t finished. Every day, I continue to work hard to get stronger, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do what I love.
"Those times when you get up early and you work hard. Those times you stay up late and you work hard. Those times when you don't feel like working. You're too tired. You don't want to push yourself, but you do it anyway... That is actually the dream. It’s not the destination. It’s the journey.” - Kobe Bryant