Abby Prather-Turner

My name is Abby Prather-Turner and I am a sophomore at William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. I have always played soccer and have loved the game. Coming to college I really had never had a major injury that made me sit for more than a game. My freshman year at Woods I experienced the typical bumps and bruises a freshman does. After playing the entire season probably the best I have ever played I decided to play over the summer on a WPSL team. After making the KC Courage and playing all summer I felt like I was in the best shape and best playing form of my life. I came back to Woods for my sophomore ready to go and be a leader and captain. After making it through the entire preseason injury and problem free our first game was approaching. During our first game I was dribbling down the field in the 70th minute and then all then sudden I heard a snap and fell to the ground. I knew from the moment that it happened something was not like something I had ever experienced before. I would go to the doctor to find out a week later that I had torn my ACL and both parts of my meniscus. This was my worst nightmare. Luckily I had the best support system on my team, with my roommates, friends, and family. After doing physical therapy for nearly 4 months something was still not right, I could not get my knee and leg completely straight. My physical therapist at home let me know that I was behind, like to the point that I was at the strength of a person a month out of surgery. I did not know what to do, I was lost. This setback seemed even worse than the injury itself. I went back to the doctor after coming back to school and was given several options. I chose to get a cortisone shot to loosen up the scar tissue and relieve the swelling in my knee. While the shot did not magically work overnight, the results were great. After nearly 5 months I came back to nearly full activity and have rehabbing to get back to playing. While I am not completely recovered yet, I have learned so much about myself and my goals. Thankfully my athletic trainers Mike, Jared, and Cody were there throughout the entire process. While the process of recovery is not an easy one, it proves your mental strength more than anything. While I had a lot of down moments, the down moments made me appreciate the good moments more than I ever did before. The recovery process was and still is the toughest mental test I had, but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.