'Terrible Injuries Derailed My Dance Career—Twice. But Then I Found Pilates'
Growing up, ballet was my life. I started dancing when I was 3 years old, and did everything from ballet to tap, as well as jazz and modern dance. By the time I reached middle school, I was dancing five hours a day, six days a week.
But in seventh grade, I got an itch to try something else. I didn't want to stop dancing, but I also wanted to be more like the other kids in my grade, so I decided to join the track team. My dance coach was NOT a fan of the idea, so I ended up keeping it a secret.
You know when you’re a kid and you sneak out of the house, and you know you’re doing something bad? That’s how I felt when I joined track. Then, in the very first meet, I competed in a long-jump event, which involves sprinting and then jumping into a sand pit. When I landed, it felt like someone stabbed me in the knee. My stomach dropped-I knew something bad had happened. I knew I'd screwed up, and I was devastated.
My mind started spinning-I knew people would be upset with me, and worse, I was upset with myself. I was dancing in The Nutcracker at the time, and I knew I'd have to drop out.
When I saw a doctor, I learned I had torn my miniscus, and all my fears were confirmed. At 13, I realized I wasn't invincible. But I started physical therapy to help rehabilitate my knee, so I could hopefully dance again.
"The pain was so bad I passed out on stage."
