Athlete Interview: Ziad Al-Zubair
One of the many fears of any athlete is developing an injury, especially just a few weeks out from an important season. Ziad Al-Zubair, a junior at Arcadia High School, fell victim to a devastating Achilles tendonitis injury just weeks before his junior track season. In this interview, he details his experience.
How did you develop the injury?
“I developed the injury due to raising my mileage up way too fast before properly letting my body adjust. And at the same time, I also just wasn’t taking care of my body properly and letting it recover. I was sleeping late and also skipping out on stretching and foam rolling.”
What were your initial thoughts when you developed this injury?
“My initial thoughts were kind of mixed, mostly sadness and a lot of disappointment, since I had really wanted to be able to get on the training that would bring me success this track season. Before this season, I had really wanted to put in the work that would bring me good results for the track season, but obviously, I wasn’t able to with this injury.”
What was rehab like?
“I went to the wonder PT at our school, and they told me that I should keep off from running on it for a while, as well as just coming in to ice my Achilles every day. Along with that, I was also told if I wanted to maintain more of my fitness during that time, I would have to do some cross-training. So every day instead of running, I did some indoor cycling. And on top of that, I also made sure to do lots of rolling and stretching.”
How was your mental state during this time?
“My mental state during my injury was mostly negative as I would watch my teammates be out there running while I was stuck being injured. But I knew that I needed to focus on getting better so I can come back stronger and not end up getting re-injured; that would reset all my progress that I’ve done with rehab.”
In the face of a challenging injury, Ziad Al-Zubair, a junior at Arcadia High School, shares the physical and emotional toll of developing Achilles tendonitis just weeks before his much-anticipated track season. Despite setbacks, his commitment to rehabilitation and mental resilience shines through, emphasizing the importance of proper training and self-care in the life of an athlete.