55 | Runner and Mountaineer Manal Rostom: Accept, Adapt, Act
Release Date: 07/15/2021
The Injured Athletes Club
“ How can you let go of the injury? Sometimes when you spend a long time with a chronic injury, it shapes how you move, plan, and think about life and your body. How do you let go when the time has come?” In the seventh season of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, mental skills coach Carrie Jackson answers a question every other week about the mental side of overcoming injuries. This week, Coach Carrie delves into the complex issue posed by listener Cecile on letting go of the identity formed around a chronic injury. She points out how this attachment can make the...
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“You need to equip your young adult for how to get through it on their own. So shepherd them. Get them the tools and resources. Let them mess it up a little bit. It's natural to protect, protect, protect, and direct, direct, direct—but your child needs to explore this time on their own a little bit with the right resources and the right people around them. They're going to go through this again and again and again at different stages of their life and going through an injury at a young age, they're going to have to grow up a little bit faster. So help them, but don't control them.”...
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“ How do I walk the fine line between being independent and self-reliant in recovery—a positive—and opting to go it alone, which can be a negative? Separately, I’d love to know more about managing an injury in the context of a chronic condition. For example, I have epilepsy but seizure meds are not great for bone density. Flip side, reducing meds is good for bones but bad for the brain. Doctors can offer guidance but making the decisions is ours alone.” In the seventh season of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, mental skills coach Carrie Jackson answers a question every...
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“ A lot of times you're stronger than you think you are. You just keep going. You don't necessarily have to see all the way to the finish line. You just keep finding that next step.” In the seventh season of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, we—mental skills coach Carrie Jackson and journalist Cindy Kuzma—continue to delve into athletes' resilience in overcoming injuries. We kick off with a can’t-miss interview with pro quarterback Alex Smith, who shares his journey of returning to football after a severe leg injury and life-threatening infection—and then, a...
info_outline"It's not like I hurt myself because I wanted to hurt myself. It came from passion, it came from an athletic drive, it came from inspiration and dreams. I just wasn't an irresponsible athlete; I don't want to call myself that. I might have been an over-optimistic and over-passionate athlete, as opposed to calling yourself bad names. Once I made the decision to stop calling myself bad names, that's when the true sense of self-love and self-kindness came through. And that's why I say, in those six months, I've learned more about self-kindness and self-love than the rest of my 41 years on Earth."
Manal Rostom has been running since the age of 13. She rededicated herself to the sport in her 30s, and subsequently ran 13 marathons, becoming the first Egyptian woman to run five of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. And, she climbed new heights; she’s also the first Egyptian woman to summit two of the world’s highest mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Elbrus.
Along the way, she built a career in sports and fitness, through partnerships with brands like Nike as well as through personal training. So when she found out, in December of 2020, that she’d have to take six months off to heal her Achilles tendons, she found herself fearful and devastated in more ways than one—physically, emotionally, and financially.
As she searched for a way to process her injury and recovery, Manal—who’s also the founder of her own Facebook group, Surviving Hijab—sought out community in The Injured Athletes Club. We’re so glad she did! And in this episode, which was recorded exactly six months to the day after she began her time off, she shares all the lessons she’s learned in that time about showing up for yourself and your community, reconnecting to your purpose, and trusting where your rebound will lead you.
A huge thank you to our sponsor for this episode: Fluid Running. Fluid Running makes it possible to maintain your peak physical fitness even when you're injured through the power of deep water running. Listen for a special discount code in the episode!
In this episode, we discuss:
- How she’d say injuries are viewed among runners—and her unique perspective on that as an Arab woman in sport (7:17)
- Why she thinks, when it comes to injuries, “your biggest enemy is your ego” (11:31)
- How she felt when she learned she needed six months off (13:31)
- How her injury first developed and progressed (19:54)
- What she’s gotten out of the Injured Athletes Club community and the book Rebound (21:06)
- Why self-care is such a critical component of recovery for her (25:00)
- The specific struggles of having an injury as a fitness content creator (30:01)
- How she “remembered her why” (38:19)
- How she’s moving forward from here (42:35)
- The importance of listening to your body (49:04)
- Her final words of advice to injured athletes, about community, values, and joy (51:27)
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
Resources/links:
- Manal’s Instagram, including the amazing videos of her wakesurfing (one while eating a protein bar!)
- Surviving Hijab on Instagram and Facebook
To access more resources for injured athletes:
- Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
- Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
- Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
- Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
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