Yesterday was probably one of the best days of my life. Officially, I am not longer a patient of NUH as my physiotherapist released me from further rehabilitation sessions. Finally! It's been 6 months since my knee was operated and for the last couple of months, being able to even walk again is indeed a blessing. 6 months ago, even being able to bend my knee was a challenge. Walking was an impossible feat which I achieved within 2 weeks of the operation. Being able to ride again took just as long. In fact, I was able to ride again while still wearing the leg brace! It's just like learning how to fly before you even know how to walk.
It's also been 9 months since I last played any rugby. 31st January 2011 was the last time I played the beautiful game (soccer is just a copy of it) and the urge to play again, to be fully part of a team again, is as strong as ever. In fact, it has never waned. On the day of the injury itself, the physio on site was bombarded with questions like "How long will I take to recover?" or "Will I be able to play as usual again?" and also "Is there a faster way to recover?". Each time I asked such a question, he will only tell me to take it easy. This sentiment was shared by many people. My imagination got the better of me as I actually googled for the possibility of a leg transplant (healthy ones of course) or even a bio-mechanical pair. Childish and nonsensical I know.
This probably explains why I am so pumped up about this Saturday. If I do actually play instead of just being at the sidelines, it will only mean that I have never missed a 7s competition in my life! The first time I played such a format was in secondary school. In JC, we got to play at the SCC side of the Padang. I nearly scored against RJC in that if not for my generous mood of wanting to let someone else score after I broke through their defenses through sheer individual footwork. I played 7s during the fasting month of 2008, reached the finals the year after and completely washed out last year. This year, shall be different. I am playing for the 2nd team now. But it's alright since I am just coming back from a career ending injury. Thankfully, with the marvels of modern healthcare, I am able to go back to playing.
I can't however say that I am back to full strength. Gone are the days where I can do a 200lb single leg press or 10 full single leg squats or kick someone across the match ring with any style of kick- be it a round horse kick, back kick, front kick or side kick. But I'll get there. I'll get back to the point that I can sidestep an entire team of ugly hungry-looking rugby players (I despise the term ruggers) or clock 23secs++ for my 200m sprint. Soon, i'll be able to clock a sub 8mins timing for my SOC again. Running fast has always been an integral part of me. I wasn't born fast, but for the past 15 years of my life, I've been training to being able to do so.
And so...I will run until my feet don't touch the ground.
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