How To Recover From Injury Like A Pro Athlete

Even though her first love was actually gymnastics, the call of the ocean proved too strong for Jordan Mercer. However, she insists that despite being the youngest competitor the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series had ever seen (and as the daughter of ironman champion Darren Mercer), she wasn’t a natural at the sport.

 

“But that feeling of knowing that there’s so much room for improvement and the frustration of not being the best motivated me.”

It’s this attitude that helped Jordan win the gruelling 52km Molokai 2 Oahu paddle race in Hawaii (six times!), as well as a multitude of other titles. It also helped her recover from a persistent foot injury that kept her from training for nine months. Yet, with determination and dedication to her recovery, she managed to come back to win the World Ironman Series title in Bali last year.

Here are her best tips for handling an injury and getting back in the game.

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1. Remember the big picture

“I got through the recovery process with the belief that I had a lot to look forward to,” she explains. “That gave me motivation and purpose to really push through rehab and those hard times – physically and mentally.”

2. Train creatively

“I found that there wasn’t a lot out there as to how to train when you’re injured or impaired, and I definitely felt alone at times. But that gave me a chance to be creative in my own training program, to come back better and stronger than ever.”

3. Be proactive

“Recovery is about putting one foot in front of another and staying relentless, to progressively increase that workload and build that strong base, so you have the confidence to say, ‘I’m ready. I’m back.’”

Discover what the Women’s Health initiative WinS is and how you can get involved here.

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