Meet The Founder
THE ACL CLUB came to life from a vision that I had years ago. After 3 ACL tears on my left knee, I know first hand what it means to go through the mental and physical battles of the rehabilitation process.
Throughout each rehab process, I always felt 2 things:
1. the mental side of the rehabilitation process was harder then the physical, yet it wasn't addressed as much
and
2. there is a special bond between people who had torn their ACL...an unspoken respect for each other because you know what the other person had gone through.
I knew I wasn't chosen to go through this grueling injury process for nothing, I knew there would be something that would make it all worth it.
I have found that with THE ACL CLUB.
THE ACL CLUB came to me as I was training alone in the off season before my last season of professional soccer in the NWSL. After months of prayers and contemplation on what to do with this feeling of wanting to help this ACL community we have, I was juggling at a field nearby my hometown and it struck me:
I have to bring this community together to be proud of what we have gone through, to unite, empower and inspire those going through it, and to help create a program to reduce the risk of others joining the club. To give us something to call our own...a club where we are members and the cost to get in is marked on our knees.
This community already exists and we are already supporting one another:
- maybe it is teammates guiding another teammate through his/her rehab process,
- a friend from a far who calls or emails you to check in,
- or someone you meet at the gym with the same, yet unique, scar that you have on your knee and it sparks conversation.
This to me is THE ACL CLUB. Every single person who has a scar to show. We are willing and honored to make someone else's rehab process just a little hard then ours.
Would I have looked at my soccer career and asked to have 3 ACL's and 7 surgeries on my left knee?
No way.
However, I think I learned and became a stronger player and person through the process and that I would never want to be taken away from me. I want us all to feel this pride to #showourscars and, in turn, #shareourstrength with others.
THE ACL CLUB is the beginning of what I think this community is about. I am just as proud to be a member as I am seeing other members successfully get back to themselves again. Please join me in helping a fellow member by just being someone they can talk to, express frustrations to, and celebrate with.
All together,
WE ARE THE ACL CLUB!
Founder
3x member