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5 Lessons Learned After Ending Up With A Permanent Knee Brace As a Professional Wakeboarder
An injury that became my greatest lesson
Ever since I was little, I believed I was unbreakable.
I was confident I could try anything.
I knew that no matter what, I would always strive to be the best.
Up until 2015 when my ligaments tore apart and a golden carbon fiber knee brace became my best buddy.
We became inseparable…LITERALLY
Two weeks before wakeboard worlds in Cancun, Mexico, I was training as usual, getting my line of tricks dialed in and ready to go to give my all for my country (Colombia) at my first world-level competition.
Everything was going well until I got to my 4th trick, "The Scarecrow" which is a toeside front roll with a 180 rotation. When I landed, I felt as if something inside my knee had moved from where it belonged.
To be honest, I cannot remember being in physical pain, but I do recall having a brief mental breakdown, crying without consolation, and being extremely mad at myself for whatever reason I could think of because somehow I knew I was going to be unable to compete at Worlds two weeks from that day where I had trained so hard for.