Senior Rachel Lynch is a multisport athlete. Having played both high school basketball and club soccer, Rachel has encountered many injuries over the years. Although, having overcome these injuries, Rachel will be continuing her soccer career at Siena Heights this fall.

How many times have you majorly injured yourself?

“I’ve had six major injuries including three concussions. I’ve dislocated my knee, dislocated my shoulder, and my worst injury has been a spinal cord injury with no radiographical abnormalities.”

How has each of these injuries impacted your athletic career?

“All of my injuries have led to a period where I have had to take time off from sports so I could heal. The worst had to have been my spinal cord injury where I couldn’t even lift heavier than a gallon of milk for four months and had no physical activity for over seven months.”

How did your teammates and coaches help you through your recovery processes?

“My teammates and coaches helped me through the recovery process by being extremely supportive. It sucks when you’re injured, and you’re an asset to the team no matter how small or large of an impact you have, which sometimes caused me, personally, to push through. The coaches really helped me because they would rather have a slow recovery that lets you heal better than quickly getting through the recovery and getting injured again.”

How have you recovered from each injury, and how are they impacting how you play now?

“I’ve recovered from my injuries by getting a lot of rest and not overusing what was injured. The injuries, besides the concussions, I had to do physical therapy in order to heal what was damaged.”