Athlete Interview: Elizabeth Chan
Elizabeth Chan, a student-athlete at Arcadia High School, approaches her fourth year as a long and triple jumper on the track and field team. During her time of the time, Chan has experienced her fair share of injuries, including patellar tendonitis during her sophomore year, Patellar tendonitis, commonly known as jumper’s knee, is an injury to the tendon of the patella. It is a common overuse injury where repeated stress on the patellar tendon results in minor tears. In this interview, Elizabeth will elaborate on her personal experience with patellar tendonitis, and how she moved forward in track and field after her injury.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey throughout track and field?
"I was introduced to track and field in middle school (I think it was 7th grade), but I began taking it more seriously in high school. So it's been around 5ish years considering that my season was cut short 8th grade year. For the field events I do, I tried almost all of them, with the exception of shot-put, but my favorites are triple jump and long jump. Recently, I've also gotten into the 100-meter hurdle race and discus throw as well."
Walk us through your injury and how it happened; What were your thoughts at the time, and how did you approach it?
“If I recall correctly, it was during sophomore year, right before the CIF championships when I realized something was wrong with my knee. I didn't know how much stress and pressure I was putting on it while doing triple jump practice, so I was wearing knee braces on both knees and taking painkillers every day during practice. I didn't want to give up my chance to compete at CIF, so I hope that I could at least hold out until after (I was not expecting to win, only to get a new personal record). Jumping was very painful, and it was after the competition when the pain became unbearable to the point where it hurt to walk. I was incredibly devastated, and I wished I listened to my body."
What were your immediate thoughts and emotions when you received the diagnosis of patellar tendonitis? How did it impact your mindset?
“Since I knew something was wrong, I wasn't too surprised, but I still wasn't very happy. I was told that this injury is common among jumpers, but I shouldn't do any high intensity workouts for a while. To say the least, I wasn't doing so well mentally. I gave up on training as much over that summer, and I lost some of that drive that I used to have competing. The injury did come back the next year, and I had to stop jumping for the rest of the season. My mindset was not in the best place going into my senior year either.”
Share some insights into your rehabilitation process. What specific challenges did you face, and how did you stay motivated throughout your recovery?
“It was incredibly hard for me to stay motivated throughout my rehabilitation process. I did go to physical therapy for a couple months, but then I became really busy with life, and it was hard to find a time where my parents could take me. Since I couldn't drive, I couldn't go to the gym for the machines that I needed, and I didn't have the proper equipment at home for some of the exercises. It was also difficult to force myself to do them because for a while, I gave up on myself.”
Who has been your biggest support during this challenging period? How have your coaches, teammates, and family played a role in your recovery?
“My biggest support was my parents, because they kept trying to encourage me to keep going and to not give up on myself. They were with me the whole time, and I'm very thankful for them for that. I've also had amazing teammates that motivated me to keep up with them, and seeing them overcome their challenges and recover from their injuries really helped me to realize that I can get through this. As for my coaches, they didn't do much but acknowledge that I have an injury."
Dealing with a significant injury like patellar tendonitis requires mental resilience. How did you maintain a positive mindset and stay focused on your goals during the recovery process?
“I had a hard time with maintaining a positive mindset because I didn't see my friends every day to help keep my spirits up since I went through the worst of it during the summer. But once I came back for pre-season the next year, I was more focused and started making goals for myself.”
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals in track and field? How has this experience influenced your approach to the sport, your overall perspective on athletic endeavors, and what the future holds for you?
“My aspiration is to just have fun since it is my senior year. I've decided that I most likely won't continue track in college, and I would like to focus on other things. But this experience has taught me that listening to your body is incredibly important, and because track is a very physically demanding sport, it's very important to strengthen your whole body, not just your legs or your arms. I'm still suffering from the injury a little bit, so my focus turned to the 100-meter hurdles this year instead of triple jump."