October 22, 2018
Lappage is Back
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary – Danielle Lappage has endured a lot of heartache throughout her long wrestling career. Just after the 2014 World Championships, where she placed eighth, Lappage tore the ACL in her right knee, leading to reconstructive surgery and a long recovery. And then, just minutes before her opening match at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she ruptured a hamstring and had to withdraw.
In 2014 it seemed that Lappage was destined for greatness. That year, the 2010 World Junior Champion also won the national championships, World University Championships, Commonwealth Games and Australian Ladies Open. Coming back from the ACL was a monumental accomplishment, but to have her dreams dashed by a freak injury in Rio was a lot to bear.
“I felt like I was living in a nightmare,” recalls Lappage, now 28. “I didn’t deal with it right away, it was a long coping process.” The rarity of her injury made the prognosis and long-term outcome unclear, and Lappage didn’t know what to do. A combination of coaching at Simon Fraser University and starting law school in at the University of Calgary in 2017 helped her navigate her recovery and the road back to competition, something she wasn’t sure would ever happen.
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo credit: Wrestling Canada
18/10/18