Athlete Interview: Emma Samvelian
Emma Samvelian, one of Arcadia High School’s most dedicated members, approaches her 4th year in track and field. Being an Arcadia athlete since her freshman year, she competes in events ranging from pole vault, shot put, discus, and occasionally the 200m, 4x400m relay, and triple jump. Competing at the level of the Arcadia Invitational and CIF-SS Final, Emma has gathered a plethora of experience in track and field. But with this wide range as a track and field athlete, how would she handle the possibility of an injury? What type of effects would an injury, specifically a hamstring strain, cause to a track and field athlete? This article will interview Emma to gain clarification amidst her hamstring injury.
What has your experience been like getting injured? How did you develop the injury and how did it affect your training and races?
“I developed the injury from overtraining. I was overworked constantly for a long period of time, and was not taking the proper steps to recover (like taking breaks, stretching, foam rolling, etc). It was especially hard because my coach kept telling me it was fine, and I believed it at the time.”
What methods did you use for rehabilitation physically and also mentally?
“I had never had an injury like this before, so I thought it was just tight or sore at first. When I started to realize it wasn't, I started to become pretty worried...it was peak track season and I couldn't really afford to be out.”
Please give some tips to other athletes who want to prevent getting this injury and how to cope if they are injured.
“Rehab was a LOT of rest, strengthening, and most of all PATIENCE. At first, I kept trying to get back into the sport too soon, but I eventually realized that without proper rest and healing it was not going to go away. I stretched, iced, foam rolled, and did lots of bodyweight hamstring strengthening work (and still do to this day!).”
After recovering did you perform better or worse? How did you rebuild your strength for the future?
“My mental state was very rough, especially at first when the injury wasn't going away and became recurring. I was very frustrated and anxious all the time. I just wanted to get back into the sport, and knowing I couldn't do that because of a physical barrier was really tough. Now, I know how to test the limits of my body in healthy ways only, and how to take care of myself so that things don't go wrong (or fix myself up when they do).”
With the official track and field season approaching in less than 2 weeks, Emma is ambitious to set new PRs and achieve her goals. As she is fortunately injury-free now, her pre-season training and competitions have been going smoothly. She looks forward to competing again with her teammates for her fourth and final high school track and field season. Good luck Emma!