From Setback to Strength: How an Injury Changed My Life

Spring of 2013 was supposed to be the best time of my life.

I was a senior in high school, riding high on scholarships to play both soccer and lacrosse in college. Summer was around the corner, momentum was on my side, and everything felt full of purpose. I was living my best life, convinced that all my years of training and hustle were about to pay off.

Then it all changed.

During a lacrosse tournament, I collided midair with another player. I walked away that day, but not unscathed: a stress fracture in my spine, months stuck in a restrictive back brace, and the devastating news that I’d lost my soccer scholarship.

In an instant, the identity I’d spent years building—the “athlete,” the “soccer player”—was gone.

After a grueling road of physical therapy and rehab, I managed to salvage part of my freshman lacrosse season. But nothing felt the same. Soccer, the sport I’d loved and lived for, was no longer in my future. And it left me wondering: Who was I without it?

The truth? That injury forced a shift in my mindset.

I stopped seeing myself as “just a player.”

I started rebuilding myself as a whole athlete—one who trains not just for the next win, but for strength, health, and longevity.

It was no longer about chasing trophies.

It became about fueling my body, recovering smarter, and moving with purpose. It became about showing up for myself, even when nobody was cheering from the sidelines.

Losing my scholarship felt like the biggest failure of my life at the time. But looking back, it was the foundation for something so much bigger.

That injury led me to study sports psychology. It taught me resilience. It shaped how I coach and train today. And it gave me a passion for helping others navigate their own setbacks—whether on the field, in the gym, or just in life.

Because fitness isn’t just about chasing PRs or six-pack abs.

Fitness is about doing the hard things—especially when life doesn’t go according to plan.

It’s about rebuilding yourself, brick by brick, stronger than you were before.

It’s about choosing strength—again and again.

If you’re walking through a tough season right now, remember: your story isn’t over. Sometimes, our biggest setbacks are just the beginning of our strongest chapters.

• Coach Liv