The Injured Athletes Club Carrie Jackson and Cindy Kuzma

“ I thought I was done with this group. I had surgery in 2021 to repair a torn labrum in my hip and I was doing better. Then 6 months after surgery, I was given the green light to go jogging 2 blocks and I’ve been in hamstring pain since then.
 
How do you move past the back-to-back chronic injuries? How do I work out when I’m afraid anything will hurt me? How do I physically and emotionally heal from this 7-year injury journey?”
 
We always say, “We’re sorry you’re here, but we’re glad you’re with us”—and when we (Coach Carrie and Cindy) heard this week’s question from listener Jessica, we thought, “We’re so sorry you’re back with us!”
 
As much as we don’t like it, some of us will rejoin the club, and some will be back multiple times. Coach Carrie gives her best advice for those coping with chronic issues and fearful of what comes next.
 
Some of her tips involve ensuring you’re confident in your treatment plan and healthcare providers. She also suggests ways to adjust your mindset and actions, including focusing on what you can control, working with those providers on ideas for movement without fear, and showing your body—and yourself—extra kindness when things feel difficult.
 
Resources/links:
Our book, with Pen Pals drill: Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries  Buy an Injured Athletes Club journal to write all this in!  
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback  
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.
 

“If this was 20-year-old, John Petrelli, I probably wouldn't have the positive mindset to navigate those waters. I would have probably been going, why is this happening to me? Being fearful, having shame, being angry. But because so many people had come into my life as a mentor and shared their gift of knowledge, their love, their compassion on me … I said, how do I possibly make something positive happen out of this that may impact other people?”
 
For 30 years, John Petrelli’s work as a personal trainer has relied on him being physically capable. So it came as a shock when, three years ago, he found himself in the intensive care unit, unable to move more than a single finger.
 
A sudden neurological disease landed him there, and—in addition to medical treatment—his mindset and his support system brought him through the experience, transformed.
 
You won’t want to miss John’s gripping tale, which he shared with Coach Carrie and Cindy on this week’s episode. He also tells the story behind his book, Confession of a Hollywood Trainer: The Journey That Changed My Life... and the Lessons I've Learned That Can Change Yours—including the very important reason why there’s a teen version. And, he shares words of wisdom and inspiration that are sure to resonate with people facing difficult challenges, at any age.
 
Resources/links:
John’s website and Instagram His book  
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.
 

“I am a cyclist. I have had multiple surgeries for an injury that occurred 2.5 years ago. Things are going downhill again, and it looks like I’m going to be faced with a third major surgery. If I do have this surgery, there is a good chance I will not be able to ride a bike again, even recreationally. I am completely heartbroken. I remember the beginning of this journey when I thought 6 weeks non-weight bearing and 6 months to recovery sounded insurmountable. I can’t believe that I’m still here and still in pain. I feel like I’m drowning and I need help navigating what is becoming a deep depression. How do I find a therapist who will understand how huge this loss is and can help me through it?”
 
Life, inevitably, will throw rapids your way. What could happen when you stop fighting the current and instead move in the direction of your challenges?
 
In this Q&A episode, Coach Carrie addresses a question from Reese, a cyclist faced with the potential end of their cycling career. Coach Carrie conveys empathy for Reese's situation, encourages the practice of resilience, and emphasizes the importance of finding a suitable therapist, ideally a sports psychologist familiar with athletes' mindset and challenges. 
 
Coach Carrie uses the analogy of rafting through rapids to talk about labeling and accepting your emotions. She discusses the benefits of journaling, and the importance of taking one day at a time to avoid overwhelming anxiety about the future. Furthermore, Coach Carrie provides detailed advice on finding a qualified sports psychologist or mental performance consultant, distinguishing between their roles, and ensuring a good fit for effective therapy.
 
Resources/links:
Sign up here to get the Rebound worksheets, including the Emotion Decoder  AASP directory to find a Certified Mental Performance Consultant You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback  
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.
 

“Injuries, you can use them as opportunities to go do something great. I feel like that was ingrained in me early on in my life. I look back now and I'm very fortunate for having those injuries because they set me up for some great things.”
 
This week, Coach Carrie and Cindy chat with Will Bartholomew, founder and CEO of D1 Training. Will shares his journey from being a promising football player who faced career-altering injuries to the founder of a successful nationwide network of athletic training facilities. 
 
Will discusses the significant moments in his athletic career, including an injury in eighth grade that ultimately set him up for success; his time as a football player at the University of Tennessee, encountering a pivotal injury during NFL training with the Denver Broncos; and how these experiences fueled his passion to establish D1 Training. He also talks about the importance of good coaching and surrounding yourself with positive influences.
 
While anyone can learn from his advice about mindset and resilience, this is an especially great episode for parents. Will has three kids—two D1 athletes, and one aspiring collegiate athlete—and he shares what it’s like to watch them go through injury as a dad, as well as what his coaches at D1 teach young athletes about inner and outer strength.
 
Resources/links:
D1 Training website Will’s Instagram, and the page for D1 Training  
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.
 

“ How can you deal with anxiety not of a specific reinjury, but a more generalized fear about your sport being taken away from you again? That fear does help me appreciate what I have now that I'm running again, but also makes disruptions to my training or race plans—whether from how I'm feeling physically, or work/life stress—harder to deal with. How can I cope?”
 
In this episode of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, mental skills coach Carrie Jackson answers a question from Emily regarding handling the anxiety associated with the potential permanent loss of her sport due to repeated injuries. 
 
In her response, she describes common fears athletes face during injury recovery, emphasizing not just the fear of re-injury but the broader, more generalized fear of losing access to their sport altogether. 
 
To manage these anxieties, Coach Carrie underscores the importance of mindfulness and the practice of staying present. Becoming hyper-aware of the previously injured part of the body can trigger stress responses based on past experiences, she says. But shifting one's mindset toward acceptance and focusing on what is within your control, today, can ease your mind and help you move forward.
 
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback  
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.
 

“Instead of being mean to myself and saying, ‘You’ve got nothing else outside of running,’ I said, ‘Look at all the other multi-faceted things you are. You are a son, you are a brother, you're a business owner. Humans are multi-faceted; you have an identity outside this sport. The sport may have helped you find more of your authenticity, but you're not bound to this sport. It's only a piece of the puzzle, a part of your identity.”
 
When Merrell Professional Athlete Aum Gandhi first started running six years ago, he barely went a quarter of a mile—and he describes it now as “the most nauseating, grueling experience ever.” But something compelled him to do it again, and again, and again. Now, he’s regularly conquering distances of 200 miles and more.
 
All that has taken him incredible places, including to the helm of endurance-sports publication Run Tri Bike; to that professional contract with Merrell; and as a key fundraiser for the Richstone Family Center. Several years later, however, all that came into question at mile 235 of a 240-mile race, when a hip injury forced him to make a huge decision about whether to continue. 
 
Hear how Aum harnessed his inner coach to rebound from that injury and redefine his relationship to running; how the everyday athletes he profiles on Run Tri Bike inspire him; what he gains from his relationship with kids at the Richstone Family Center who are also overcoming trauma; and his advice for the ultrarunner in all of us.
 
Resources/links:
Aum’s Instagram Run Tri Bike His fundraiser for the Richstone Family Center  
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, 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.
 
To access more resources for injured athletes:
Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook! Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards Access webinar videos, injury sources, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work 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 hello@injuredathletesclub.com with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback  
DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.