Amelia Nichols is originally from Winona, MN and was a figure skater throughout high school. She graduated from NDSU this past December with a double major in microbiology and equine science.
Nichols broke her ankle while she was skating and ended up having surgery on it three days later. It was a spiral fracture of the fibula, so her surgeon put a plate and five screws in her ankle to screw it back together. Including physical therapy, her total recovery was about four months.
During that time, it was emotionally frustrating for Nichols as it was her senior year and she set a lot of goals for herself. It happened at the beginning of the season, so she was only in one competition before that. She was unable to meet her goals, but she got back to skating for the last competition. It wasn't where she wanted to be, but she has turned it into a positive and is now helping others. Nichols is a skating instructor for youth levels 1-3 and still continues to skate for fun.
Nichols says the biggest advice to those in similar situations is that "the world isn't ending." She says, "it can be kind of catastrophic when everything you've been doing just comes to a screeching halt, but it does get better and you learn from it. . . and kind of grow stronger maybe not physically, but mentally you do." It may be difficult right away, but it will get better. Focus your time on physical therapy and doing what you can to accomplish a successful recovery.
Listen to the full podcast version https://jaedenmetcalf.wixsite.com/sportrecovery/podcast/episode/c1551a7c/amelia-nichols-podcast