At the start of 2024, I felt unstoppable.
I had just done VO2 max testing, and the numbers confirmed what I already knew deep down: I was fit, strong, and ready to run a personal best at any distance my coach threw at me. All the work I had been putting in was paying off, and I could feel momentum building toward a breakthrough season.
But just days later, everything changed. I felt a small twinge in my ankle. Not pain exactly—just something that didn’t feel right. What I didn’t know at that moment was that it wasn’t a minor tweak. It was a stress fracture. And not just any fracture—more than 75% through my bone.
Within hours, I went from preparing to perform at my best to being in a cast, unable to run, walk, or even weight bear for the next six weeks.
The Mental Toll of Injuries
The injury was physical, but the toll it took on my mental health was something I wasn’t prepared for. I felt every emotion possible: sadness, jealousy, anger—you name it.
Every day I opened my Strava app and scrolled past my friends’ runs. Workouts I wished I was doing. Long runs I wanted to be part of. While I was genuinely happy to cheer on my friends in their training, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt to be watching from the sidelines.
Injuries have a way of shaking your foundation. And when a foundation cracks, you see what really supports the structure. For me, I quickly realized that what I loved about running wasn’t the races, the times, or the PRs. Those are fun, but they’re also rare.
What I truly missed was the process—the day-in, day-out commitment to putting in the work. I missed the rhythm of meeting up with my friends for runs, and the way training grounded me every single day.
The Turning Point
As someone who wears my athletic identity like a badge, I had to make a choice: I could let this break me, or I could build back stronger.
That’s the thing about setbacks — they demand a decision. So I shifted my mindset from “Why me?” to “What now?”
I crutched my way to the gym and did what I could with what I had. I dialed in my nutrition to give my body what it needed to heal. And I leaned into time with my family, which so often takes a backseat when I’m training 14–15 hours a week.
I also focused on mental strategies: setting small, achievable weekly goals, celebrating progress beyond running, and reminding myself that healing was a process—just like training.
I rebuilt myself brick-by-brick.
From Setback to Breakthrough
I started 2024 broken in so many ways, both physically and mentally. But by focusing on what I could control, leaning into the process, and staying committed to my mindset, I (quite literally) crawled my way back.
Six months after my cast came off, I stood on the start line of the Chicago Marathon. I felt calm, at peace, and deeply grateful—for my body that had healed, for my mind that had endured, and for everything they had carried me through to get me there.
I crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 46 minutes, shaving almost nine minutes off my previous time.
After more than two months off running, and weeks spent teaching my body how to move—and trust itself—again, I hadn’t just gotten back to where I was before my injury. I had gone beyond it.
The Mindset Behind the Comeback
Through this injury, I realized that setbacks like mine aren’t just a test of your body—they’re also a test of your foundation. They force you to redefine success, to find purpose outside of what you can do physically, and to remind yourself that being an athlete is about more than the results.
We don’t get to choose when the cracks appear. But we do get to choose how we respond to them.
For some, it’s an injury. For others, it’s burnout, a tough season, or a disappointing performance.
The response to these moments—the willingness to adapt, to find new ways to grow, and to hold onto your identity as an athlete even when the sport looks different—that’s what builds resilience. And resilience is what carries you through to the other side, stronger than before.
At the end of the day, the comeback isn’t about proving anyone wrong. It’s about discovering just how strong you’ve become in the process, and that’s true for every athlete, no matter the sport.
This blog was written by Coach Elaina
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Danielle Hanus, MA
Monica Russell, MA
