![](\"https:\/\/www.atipt.com\/sites\/default\/files\/Abbey%20D.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTraining a lifetime for the opportunity to represent your country in front of millions on the international stage is something most of us only dream of. But for some athletes, this dream lives as a reality. Through all the training and preparation, there\u2019s one thing these athletes fear far more than falling short of a gold – an injury that sidelines them for their event, season, or worse yet, career.<\/p>\n
For Olympic runner and Boston native Abbey D\u2019Agostino, this fear became a reality following a devastating injury during the 5k preliminary at last year\u2019s Olympics in Rio. A chain-reaction fall with New Zealand\u2019s Nikki Hamblin shattered Abbey\u2019s hopes of bumping shoulders with world greats in the main event. But that didn\u2019t get in the way of Abbey doing something that truly embodies the spirit of an Olympian. Most of us now know Abbey for her selfless act of sportsmanship when she, in apparent distress, turned back to help Nikki to her feet when the two tangled to the track. Due to her own injuries, Abbey was, in turn, helped by Nikki, as they leaned on each other to finish the race, both embodying the true Olympic spirit.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nikki Hamblin turns back to help Abbey D’Agostino after the initial fall where D’Agostino assisted Hamblin to her feet
\n(photo credit:\u00a0Ian Walton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Despite being far out of contention in the race, officials announced that both racers would advance into the final. Unfortunately, Abbey\u2019s injury forced her to withdraw from participating in the final, but her act of heroism gained more notoriety than all the medals in the world could ever offer. Following the event, doctors discovered that Abbey had sustained a complete tear of the ACL, a meniscus tear and a strained MCL \u2013 which are seen as a rarity in her line of work.<\/p>\n
Given the uncommonness of her injury, the road to recovery was set to be all but common for the Olympian. Following her surgery, Abbey chose to undergo physical therapy at ATI with Carl Gustafson PT, ATC, LAT, CSCS, which to her sincerest appreciation, has been a life-changing opportunity that has helped restore hope, strength and functional independence for the Olympian. As the year mark approaches since Abbey\u2019s injury, we had the opportunity to catch up with her to see how recovery is going and what\u2019s next for the running icon.<\/p>\n
With the stakes so high in the recovery phases of the injury, how did you select ATI for your rehab?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Where I would get the surgery done was actually the most important piece of my decision. I wanted all of this to be close to the community and close to my family. That\u2019s really what kept me in Boston. I ended up choosing a surgeon that I had known and worked with before at Boston Children\u2019s. I actually asked for his opinion on PT because I had seen several options in the Boston area. My surgeon, Dr. Minindar Kocher, could not recommend highly enough Carl Gustafson at ATI. He is just fantastic.<\/p>\n ACL and meniscus tears are often seen as a rarity in track and field, because of this, were you concerned that the outcomes of surgery and physical therapy wouldn\u2019t get you back to 100 percent, or worse yet, competition?<\/strong><\/p>\n In all honesty, no. While it was a bit intimidating and overwhelming to realize that there was not really a precedent for this sort of injury among distance runners, it was also sort of liberating. There were no expectations that I really implicitly or explicitly had to meet. It was freeing.<\/p>\n I know that obviously a human body at age 24 – my age when it happened last summer – is a lot more resilient. But running as a person of faith, I also just felt a deep sense of purpose right when it happened. I really see running and this profession as a calling. \u00a0I frequently sense that my ability to run and utilize this gift that I have been given has enabled a high sense of fortitude, so I\u2019m not done yet. I think everything that went down, no pun intended, in Rio, was just part of this larger plan that God had for me in this space. Even when it happened, I always sensed that I would be back in due time. It might take a while, but I will be back to compete at that level again.<\/p>\n The road to recovery for these particular injuries can be exhaustive, but you seem to be conquering it, how has physical therapy helped you through this?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I think exhausting and excessive are very appropriate words. When I really think about this, it is the emotional and psychological piece that is the most exhausting. It\u2019s the uncertainty of the process.\u00a0I\u2019ve been in this mode of accepting the reality that I only have the day in front of me and that I can\u2019t plan beyond it. I\u2019m not sure how I\u2019m going to feel a week from today. Having Carl at ATI, this community and the wisdom of people in whom I can trust, along with their own personal experience, has just given me peace within that uncertainty and within the process.<\/p>\n Having this support network and understanding that they have seen this and they know what to expect from this \u2013 both the physical and the mental piece of recovery is very comforting. Just them saying, \u201cthis is normal for you to feel this way today\u201d, was important to hear. Having people in whom I can really relate and speak to, was just so crucial in providing me peace in those tedious and exhausting moments.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve endured a lot getting to this point in your recovery \u2013 how far along would you say you are in the process? Are you back to running 100% or is it a measured approach?<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like anything else, it\u2019s kind of been nonlinear. I think structurally, my knee is great. Recovery has gone super smooth. Once I was back hitting the ground, there was certainly an adaptation curve, however. I was back doing regular distance runs and pretty much normal training until I strained my hamstring a few months back.<\/p>\n This strain reminded me that because I\u2019m an elite athlete, it does not exempt me from the way the human body heals. It takes a certain intensity of both running and cross training to compete at this level. I have to be realistic that it takes a little bit longer. I have to give it a little bit more time for my body to adapt to that intensity.<\/p>\n My hamstring strain was not unrelated to the surgery. I didn\u2019t have 100% flexion in the side of that leg yet. My posterior was a little bit more compromised than it was on the other side I wasn\u2019t even nine months post-op and running at almost race pace, so it makes sense now. In retrospect, I would be susceptible to something like that.<\/p>\n How soon after surgery and starting physical therapy were you noticing major results\/improvements in your recovery?<\/strong><\/p>\n Coming into this, I never had surgery before. I had long-term bone injuries, but they are scripted in how you come back within eight weeks. This was very different. I think there was certainly a kind of a leap in my rehab throughout the first few months. I don\u2019t think I was truly able to appreciate those leaps and the marvel of our bodies and ability to heal until I was back running on the ground again, which was around January.<\/p>\n When I initially got the surgery, I was under the impression that I\u2019d have to do gate retraining and fully teach my body to run again. But it\u2019s just amazing. Once you get the neuromuscular connection going again I was shocked at how quickly I was able to pick it up and feel like myself. I\u2019d say it was more around January I started noticing improvements, which was five months post-op.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been said that the mental part of the process often times outweighs the physical aspects, would you say this is the case, and what has been your strategy in keeping such a high spirit through this process?<\/strong><\/p>\n Honestly, it\u2019s an equal balance between the two. The uncertainty of the process has undoubtedly been one of the trickier aspects to manage. One of the best ways I\u2019ve found to overcome the mental pressures is to look at the end game, but also recognize that we can gain value from being in the present as well. It\u2019s an intricate balance. I have to see this light at the end of the tunnel and use it to motivate me, but at the same time, I\u2019m here for a reason. How can I really be a student of this process? Adding to this, I always focus on the calendar and say to myself, \u201cOk I\u2019m at 40% today, so I\u2019m going to expect 40% of myself and that\u2019s it\u201d. I believe you can have peace and joy at 40% if you have that perspective.<\/p>\n How important was your PT in this process. Can you talk about that relationship and your recovery process?<\/strong><\/p>\n One absolute benefit and lesson that has been imparted to me through this whole process is the value of recovery – not just through the sake of my knee right and not for this isolated period of time, but as a whole. Being in recovery and taking whole days off is not only necessary, but it\u2019s a valuable part of my training.<\/p>\n Taking time off used to feel like a punishment to me. It still does\u2026 sometimes, but I think through Carl and his conservative approach to PT it\u2019s the right thing to do. This element has just been such an asset to the way I view rehab and recovery, in general. It\u2019s necessary to incorporate rest and time off within my rhythm of training, and not just for moments in my career when I\u2019m injured. Even beyond the physical part of it, the psychological and emotional aspect of the community at ATI is so important and effective. Just having the encouragement there two or three times a week makes a tremendous difference.<\/p>\n [Speaking to the ATI clinic] I love the setup of the entire clinic For example, the way that all of the tables are setup in one room and all of the machines, you have access to other people who are on the same journey of all ages, and backgrounds. There\u2019s just this air of lightheartedness and this fun kind of atmosphere and the accountability. \u00a0I think is so important, especially during these times of isolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n In addition, the relationships that I started with Carl and the other members of the staff was a tremendous benefit. \u00a0Learning about their lives and building relationships, that\u2019s a huge part of keeping your mind off of the drudgery of the injury at hand.<\/p>\n What have been some key takeaways through this experience, what tips can you pass on to others?<\/strong><\/p>\n Staying engaged in community, not just with PT, but with people in general through the process of having an injury or feeling a hardship in general is extremely valuable. Also set realistic expectations. \u00a0Put things in the right perspective. For example, if you\u2019re 10 days after surgery and you\u2019re 10% of normal functioning, then that\u2019s all you should expect from yourself. Feel thankful for where you\u2019re at, set small goals and keep measuring progress. Keeping track of progress is really important so you can look back and see how far you\u2019ve come. That\u2019s huge in keeping your spirits high.<\/p>\n Has this injury given you a different perspective on your career and the sport?<\/strong><\/p>\n While running is a passion and a joy for me, it\u2019s also bigger than that, it\u2019s a calling. It means I get to be a steward of this gift that I feel I have been given. But it is also important to have a support structure and identity outside the sport. Having that foundation outside of the sport world is what allows me to see it from a fresh perspective and see it from this lens of, \u201cOk, this isn\u2019t about me, it\u2019s about being a steward of this gift that I\u2019ve been given. The best way that I can do that right now, for some reason, is to be injured and to help others through conversations like this and just sharing this message of \u201cHow do we manage times like this in our lives\u201d?<\/p>\n Once you receive the all-clear to run competitively again, is there anything specific in your career you\u2019d like to focus on? 2020 Olympics?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In track and field there\u2019s a big emphasis placed on the IAAF World Championship that takes place every two years. Unfortunately, it took place this summer in London, so regrettably I wasn’t able to compete in it. But the bright side is that there will be another championship in 2019, so that\u2019s the next big goal of mine. Even if there isn\u2019t a big international championship, there are always highly prioritized, high-caliber races over in Europe, so that\u2019ll be the goal in the interim.<\/p>\n While not everyone is the caliber of runner or athlete like yourself, what advice could you give someone that is going through physical therapy for themselves?<\/strong><\/p>\n Something I was thinking about that applies to PT or anything like that, is that the reality is so humbling. You can talk about being tough mentally until you\u2019re blue in the face, but not one of us is exempt from doubt and negative thoughts. Injuries tend to magnify our limitations and people don\u2019t like that. But it is in those difficult moments and situations when our weaknesses are exposed, that we become teachable.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve found through this process and others, that these experiences only make us better if we allow them to make us better. If we surrender to the process and let the process become a teaching vehicle, we begin to learn things that we might have been closed off to before. Whether it\u2019s appreciating the human body and its stability when we are healthy, developing patience, or gaining the ability to empathize with others who are chronically limited, this is something that is learned through experience. \u00a0To decide to not see the experience with bitterness, but to actually allow it to change you in a positive way is really a conscious decision, but it\u2019s a decision I haven\u2019t ever regretted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Training a lifetime for the opportunity to represent your country in front of millions on the international stage is something […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-patient-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n