Pop!  Have you ever heard this sound as your ankle rolls and pain erupts?  If so, you probably had a sprained ankle.  It is one difficult obstacle that I have had to overcome.  But as stated by Helen Keller, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope and confidence”.  I would need to be optimistic and hopeful throughout this experience.  This is how it happened.
This accident took place at a basketball practice one Sunday evening in September.  The team and I were scrimmaging three-on-three, and I was on defence.  My opponent, who had the ball, started in hard for a drive to the basket, so I swiftly moved to intercept him.  In doing so, I rolled my ankle outward, resulting in a loud pop and a burst of pain.  Thinking that it was not that bad, I walked it off and continued to play.
Following practice, I realized that my predicament was much worse than it originally seemed.  A swollen mass the size of an egg had formed on the outside of my left ankle.  After icing it, I went to bed, only to wake up and find that walking was unbearable.  Naturally, I went to the doctor.  Over the course of a few weeks, I met with many doctors and had several x-rays taken that suggested cartilage and bone damage.  An MRI confirmed my fear.  The sprain had been accompanied by cartilage and bone damage.  I would have to wear a boot and use crutches for eight weeks, as compared to only three weeks if it had just been a sprain.  I knew this would set me back in my basketball career.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was cleared to begin walking and start physical therapy.  Walking aroused many new sensations in my foot that I had not felt in a while.  My foot was very weak, and I limped badly.  After some tedious physical therapy, life began to go back to normal.  I slowly transitioned back into basketball, and I was glad to be back on the court.
In conclusion, this experience was one of the most difficult in my life.  One of the worst aspects of it all was losing a lot of independence.  But I am stronger for it, both mentally and physically.  Now my ankle is healed, and life is back to normal.  Obstacles are made to be defeated.