Sophia Stumpfl

September 20, 2019

It was a normal summer Wednesday, tumbling with my cheerleading team. For weeks, I
had been working on a new skill (an Arabian), and I had finally hit it. I asked a friend to record
my tumbling pass. I tried it a couple times but my body was exhausted. When I finally stuck the
landing, I found that my friend hadn’t recorded it. I was so frustrated but I knew I had to try
again. I went back to the corner of the mat, took a deep breath, and started my pass.
I don’t remember much after that except sitting on the floor, sobbing while holding my
arm. I knew I was not going to be able to cheer or tumble for a long time and that upset me
more than the actual pain in my arm. Waiting for my parents at the hospital, my friends
encouraged and distracted me, making me laugh so hard that I almost forgot about my pain.
The doctors told me that I had a bowing fracture. Somehow, my bone managed to bend, but not
break. My whole summer would be spent in a full arm cast after surgery.
Months went by, cast after cast, appointment after appointment. What upset me the most
was not being able to cheer or tumble. I’ve loved tumbling since I started in the fifth grade, but
it’s true when they say “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” I was thrilled when my
cast came off, until I couldn’t even straighten my arm. I had thought that I could get right back
into cheer and tumbling, but I was very wrong. I still had weeks of frustrating and painful
physical therapy before I could even straighten my elbow. The thought of putting pressure on it
made me sick, and I was terrified I would never be able to tumble again.
When I was finally cleared to ease back into tumbling, I knew I had to work twice as hard
to get back to where I left off, but the work would be worth it. Trying to get back into tumbling
was physically and mentally exhausting. I doubted myself every single day. Some days I didn’t
know if I’d ever be able to tumble again, let alone follow my dream to try out for a D1 college
team. After many hours spent in the gym and pushing myself through the pain, my self-
assurance started to return.
I am finally back physically to where I was before. I still have a few issues with my arm,
but I’m so proud of myself for persevering and overcoming my injury, no matter what it took.
Mentally, this injury made me stronger. I never gave up on my dream and learned that setbacks
don’t have to end my dreams if I don’t let them. Being so passionate about cheer really helped
me through my recovery because without my love for the sport, I would have just given up. I
wasn’t going to let my fears take away something that’s so important to me.
The encouragement of my friends and family had a huge impact on my recovery. Cheer
gives me a support system that is always behind me and people who truly care about my
success. This journey has emphasized the importance of having strong relationships with my
friends, especially starting a new chapter in my life in college.
While my injury was a big setback, it did give me a whole new perspective. I doubted at
first, but it showed me that there was a second chance for me to keep doing what I love. I feel
so blessed to be able to do what I am so passionate about and I am so grateful for this second
chance. With hard work and dedication, I will never have to give up things that I love.