June is scoliosis awareness month so here’s a little bit about my story. This is an x-ray of my spine taken in the last few years. • In 2011 I was suddenly told that I needed surgery that would end my elite gymnastics career. The usual surgery for scoliosis is spinal fusion (a major procedure using pins and rods to hold the spine straight). 2011 was one year before the London 2012 Olympic Games and I had just started training full time. Honestly, at that particular hospital appointment it felt like my life was over. I was just 16 and going back to the gym from the hospital to tell my coach and team mates what I had been told was completely heart breaking. I cried pretty much non-stop for a week and this was all because of what one doctor had told me. (This particular doctor did not seem to understand the mental implications of dropping something like this on a young athlete the year before the Olympic Games. I won’t go into this too much right now, but the way that I was told was careless and unthoughtful.) • After some time, I decided to get a second opinion. Since then, I have gone on to compete at the Olympic Games, my second Commonwealth Games, the World University Games and also became English Champion. If you ever find yourself in a position like I was, I urge you to get a second opinion. I am still surgery free and OK, I have regular check ups and everything is currently under control! • I understand that some people have far worse curves than this, and of course this is just my personal story. Scoliosis might not have much of an effect on some sports but rhythmic gymnastics isn’t one of them as it relies heavily on the back. Sometimes it will be tough, it can be painful, and it can limit you. I definitely do get pain. When I’m doing gymnastics, when I’m out shopping, when I’m sat studying, but the pain would be even worse if I didn’t keep active. Of course there were a lot of moves that my body couldn’t do that other gymnasts could, but I adapted to suit me and my body and I believe I did pretty well with that! • Swipe to read the rest! • #rhythmicgymnastics #rg #gymnastics #scoliosis #olympics #scoliosisawareness

lynnekarinahutchさん(@lynnekarinahutch)が投稿した動画 - 2018/07/01 00:32:35