“ Anybody I've met since I got hurt, I feel like they don't know me and that they can't know me. For people that I've become really close to since I got hurt—it almost hurts me to know that this person won't actually ever know who I am or who I was. They're meeting an entirely different person … there's a before and after, and a massive wall that separates them.”
As a seasoned personal trainer and co-owner of Amplify Fitness, a gym in Boston, Mia Lazarewicz is used to helping athletes and adult fitness enthusiasts on the road back from injury. However, little could prepare the lifelong athlete for her own life-altering accident—breaking both legs in a gymnastics flip gone wrong in 2023.
In the immediate aftermath, Mia faced uncertainty and anxiety. As the days and weeks wore on, she struggled with shifts in her identity, not to mention the financial repercussions of medical bills and keeping a small business afloat.
But though there have been many dark moments, she found joy in striving, humor in her struggles, a deep sense of gratitude for her community, and fulfillment in unexpected endeavors—including writing a book, Becoming a Personal Trainer. And though she still isn’t sure how much of her previous abilities she’ll recover, she’s never short of new goals that keep her striving (up next, maybe: a pull-up competition!).
Resources/links:
- Mia’s Instagram, website, and book
- The Medium post referenced, about her accident: A Comprehensive Review of Shattering Both Legs
A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 8 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! The LEVER system is an innovative way to reduce your body weight, and the impact on your joints, while exercising on a treadmill. Use the code “TIAC20” to get 20% off your purchase.
You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.
To access more resources for injured athletes:
- Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
- Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise,
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