Jillian Wolgemuth recently experienced every athlete’s worst nightmare. In one of the final games for Team USA during the FIH Pro League Mini Tournaments, Jillian tore her ACL.
Here’s how Jillian is taking this setback head-on:
“After working my entire career for a moment on the biggest stage, it was torn away, and instead, I face surgery and a grueling 9-month recovery.
Honestly, I’m still working through this mentally, but here are some of my current realizations:
1. Face every moment, grief/pain/hope, for what it is. Do not hide or minimize it.
2. Reconstruct what achievement and success mean. Being unable to be an Olympian does not eliminate my value and accomplishments. I carry myself each day through every step of rehab as I would walking onto an Olympic pitch, head held high.
3. Do not isolate myself from support. I love my community by allowing them to tangibly help and be there for me when I am in need.”