Get ready for some SERIOUS inspiration as Revolutions Rockstar Tori shares her journey from bike accident to recovery and why having a #fitfam is so important. #uforialove
I was mountain biking in Santa Fe, NM. Long story short, I crashed. Hard. Badly. I walked away, (yes, I could technically walk,) with two dislocated thumbs, one thumb both fractured and with a torn stabilizing tendon; road rash across my entire left lower leg; a hole gouged into my left knee leaving my patellar tendon hanging out and my left patella and tibia bones exposed; countless scratches; and not insignificantly, I walked away with my self-confidence severely shaken. Both in my ability to ride a bike and participate in athletic activities, but also in my confidence and drive to take on new challenges and experiences.
It took six hours in the ER, four hours of surgery, three months of physical therapy, and several years for those wounds to heal. The physical healing was easiest – 25 stitches, three layers of skin and muscle “shaved off,” thumbs reset, and braces/casts made. The emotional recovery was longer and far more challenging. I still start to shake and can’t ride a road or mountain bike. I still get nervous going downhill. I still have pain in my scar tissue. I still hesitate to jump into new physical adventures. I still carry my scars.
But I doubt I’d be where I am today without those scars, without that crash, without that scare. I wouldn’t have become a spin enthusiast (thank you, stationary bikes, and really, thank you Morgan for getting me hooked and going to countless spin classes with me). I wouldn’t have imagined myself teaching, let alone becoming part of a community as warm and welcoming as uforia Studios. I wouldn’t have imagined that one day I would love my scars, or treasure them as a daily reminder that we are strong, able, and resilient.
I may never be “thankful” for my accident. But I am eternally grateful for the love and support of my friends, family, and community that helped me become who I am today.