From MVP to Second ACL Surgery: Lucinda Silvestri

Lucinda Silvestri is an Australian lacrosse player who won MVP at senior national champs after recovering from her first ACL. Five months after returning to play, she did her second ACL in the grand final. This conversation is about what it’s like to go through ACL recovery twice and how your mindset changes when you already know you can get back.

Lucinda talks about the first ACL happening 30 seconds into a grand final, trying to keep playing, and then her knee completely giving way. She describes the setbacks during rehab, the weeks where nothing seemed to improve, and how her support team kept her accountable when motivation disappeared. The second time around, she had confidence from knowing her first knee felt good again, but watching teammates go to Aussie camps while she was sidelined was still hard.

This episode covers the mental challenge of staying motivated through slow progress, the importance of having people who understand the physical rehab process, and why trust in the process matters more the second time. If you’re facing a second injury or wondering whether you’ll ever feel the same again, Lucinda’s experience shows what’s possible.

Key insights:

• Going through ACL recovery a second time is different because you have proof you can get back. The doubts aren’t as strong when one knee already feels solid.
• Slow progress is normal. Some weeks you work on something constantly and it doesn’t improve. Then breakthrough moments come randomly.
• Support team accountability matters. Having scheduled sessions with coaches meant Lucinda couldn’t bail when motivation dropped.
• Watching teammates continue playing and getting opportunities you’d be part of is one of the hardest mental challenges. You want to be happy for them but you’re also stuck on the sidelines.
• Small sports create opportunities. Lacrosse isn’t as competitive as massive sports, so you get exposure to elite environments earlier, which helps with motivation during recovery.

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