The journey from injury to accolades - from the athlete's perspective. Written by Baillie Lynds, Women's Soccer player at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus: 

Since I was 4 years old, soccer has been a fundamental part of my life. As a lifelong fan of the sport,being recruited to play on the Dal AC RAMS team was one of the greatest highlights of my soccer career.

In the summer of 2019, I played club soccer motivated to be at my best for the upcoming challenge ofplaying in the ACAA and with the Dal AC RAMS. In July, I experienced a knee-on-knee collision on the field, which turned out to be my first significant soccer injury. Despite trying to convince myself that everything was ok, I knew something didn’t feel right and thus began a journey of multiple assessmentsand precautionary physio to ensure my knee would be strong for my RAMS debut in the fall.

Training camp and my first exhibition game went well and my knee felt good; I was so excited to be wearing the Black and Gold. However, in the last few seconds of our final exhibition game, disaster struck. I was running for the ball and as I planted my foot, my knee twisted. I felt a pop and went down on the field in severe pain. Despite being able to walk off the field, I knew something was very wrong.

I was in tears talking to my mom as we replayed the event over and over - what had happened, what would this mean for my season, had it ended before it even started? These questions ran through our minds throughout that night. I hoped a good night’s sleep would take away all the pain and disappointment but the next morning, I couldn’t put weight on my right leg; I was sidelined pending further evaluation. An MRI confirmed a complete ACL and meniscus tear which would require surgery and put an abrupt end to what would have been my rookie season. I was crushed - this was not how my university experience was supposed to start.

In October, I met with orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Catherine Coady, who would later repair my ACLs. After reviewing the events leading up to the injury to my right knee and the previous issue with my left knee, she evaluated and concluded that I had torn both my left and right ACLs and my right meniscus. That is a moment I will never forget; my soccer world had come crashing down. My dream of playing at the ACAA level was over for the moment and I felt like I had let my team down. On top of all of that, the question
of whether I could or would ever play soccer again weighed heavy on my mind.

I remained with the team for the entire 2019 season, attending practices and games - watching from the sidelines was emotionally tough as it was a constant reminder that I could not return to action for at least 2 years. The mental part of my injury was equally as difficult as the physical part. My first surgery was scheduled on December 23, 2019 – the last OR timeslot before the Christmas holidays. My second surgery, scheduled for May 2020, was cancelled due to COVID. With no timeline for rescheduling, I applied to work on a market garden farm that summer. I was offered the job on a Wednesday and on that Friday, I got a call offering a surgery appointment for the following Monday. Now, I had to decide if my priority would be career or soccer. I chose career which turned out to be the best decision as I needed to mentally focus on something other than soccer and that opportunity provided me with a clear direction on the aspect of Agriculture that I wanted to pursue.

In August of 2021 after two surgeries and recoveries, I was finally cleared to play but I was still undecided on whether I would return to the pitch. My confidence was low and my fear of reinjury was real. I knew I would not be the player I once was and wondered how I would look playing in two huge knee braces. Despite all these reservations, I realized that I wanted to return to the game I loved and take care of unfinished business; I didn’t want the injury to dictate when I left the game.

In 2022, I played my first ACAA game as a fourth-year student. I was nervous, excited, and proud as I took in that moment when the lineups were announced. I looked into the crowd and saw all of my family and friends who had helped me get back to this point; I knew it was just as much of a win for them as it was for me. I made it through the season and completed my comeback, proving to myself and everyone else, that injury could not hold me back. At the end of the season, I was named ACAA Second Team All-Conference. I remember driving home hardly able to contain my excitement and telling my mom “We” had done it - I couldn’t believe it. As we reminisced about the highs and lows of the recovery and my return to the pitch, I remember my mom saying, “when you walked off the field for the last time, I let out a breath I’d been holding for the whole season.” Little did I know that in November 2022 I would decide to pursue a master’s degree in sustainable dairy production and return to the AC and the RAMS, as Captain.

My university experience was a success. In May 2023, I graduated with a B.Sc. (Agr.) Plant Science with distinction, was awarded the University Medal in Plant Science and was named both a 2022-23 CCAA National Scholar and 2022-23 CCAA Academic All-Canadian. In addition to my academic and athletic accomplishments, I learned some very valuable life lessons. First, anything is possible if you believe in yourself and have a powerful support network of family, friends, and professionals to help you along the way. Second, and perhaps most importantly, I learned that a win is not always defined by the score on the game sheet.

I want to say a huge thank you to my entire family, especially my mom and dad. My dad has always been there for me, and throughout this experience, he would sit, listen, and make me feel heard when I was frustrated with the process. He would reassure me that if I was determined to do something there was nothing that could hold me back. He helped me stay positive and was there on the sidelines cheering when I finally returned to the pitch. My mom, I wholeheartedly believe this experience was as heart breaking for her as it was for me. She sat with me while I cried the night I tore my right ACL, drove me to every surgery consultation, physio appointment, and surgery that I had - not to mention anywhere else I needed to be. She walked my new puppy every morning when I couldn’t after surgery and then continued to for the next three years, because they had developed a routine. She got up every two hours throughout the night to give me my medication after surgery, sat with me in the emergency room for 13 hours, laughed with me, cried with me, and after my return, was there cheering me on at every single game both home and away all season. I even remember her saying she would have given me her ACLs if she could. My parents have always supported my brother and I in chasing after our dreams and never once made me doubt my ability to return to play. I would have never gotten through this without them.