To reach a high level in any sport requires dedication and resilience as much as athletic ability, as there will be times when circumstances, knocks and injuries will test even the most skilled or athletically gifted athlete.
Despite this, there are certain times when an athlete returns to the sport after an injury so severe that it would be understandable to assume their career was over.
Here are some of the most remarkable recoveries that prove that the greatest comebacks in sport sometimes do not take place on the pitch.
Alex Smith
Since he was the number one NFL draft pick in 2005, Alex Smith was destined to be remarkable, but how he became remarkable was showing an astonishing level of resilience and making a miraculous return to American Football after a shocking injury that very nearly killed him.
On 18th November 2018, Alex Smith suffered a horrific spiral and compound fracture to his tibia and fibula, which was only made worse when he developed necrotising fasciitis and sepsis, requiring 17 surgeries to save his life and very nearly costing him his leg.
Despite this, Mr Smith always wanted to return, and so his leg was rebuilt using muscle from his left quadriceps and multiple skin grafts were performed. Two years later, he was cleared by doctors to play again and he started for the Washington Commandos in 2020.
Roy Keane
Different people have different motivations to return. For Alex Smith, it was about pure determination and leaving the sport on his terms. For Irish football legend Roy Keane, it was a matter purely of revenge.
The longtime captain and midfield enforcer for Manchester United, Roy Keane suffered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a 1997 match against Leeds United as the result of a tackle by Alfe-Inge Haaland.
Mr Haaland claimed he had faked the injury and the ever-diplomatic Mr Keane was never going to let that slide. He recovered to help Manchester United win nine trophies and in 2001 courted controversy by fouling Mr Haaland in what he later admitted was an act of revenge.
Stephen Strasburg
One of the most famous players in Major League Baseball even before his debut, Stephen Strasburg lit up the baseball world in his very first professional game, setting a team strikeout record for his Washington Nationals.
Unfortunately, just a month later he would suffer from a torn ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that required Tommy John surgery and may have ended his promising career before it started, especially once an innings limit was imposed on him that earned the nickname ‘Strasburg Rule’.
He would recover, however, and in 2019 would win the World Series, earning the MVP crown in the process.
For more information and recovery advice from a sports therapist in Maidenhead, get in touch today.
