Achilles tears are one of the most common athletic injuries treated at The Center for Podiatric Care and Sports Medicine offices in White Plains and Manhattan. Some patients are so-called “weekend warriors” who suddenly increased their training after a long winter. Other patients are athletes in their prime who took a sudden misstep and heard the tell-tale “popping” sound.
Either way, it’s not an easy injury to endure, mentally or physically. You should work with a compassionate health care team that can see you through the lengthy recovery. You want professionals who have access to the latest technology and proven methods to get you back to the game faster and stronger than ever. We offer top-level care for athletes of all skill levels, even Olympians.
One of the latest stories that got our attention was squash player Amanda Sobhy’s Achilles rupture, which occurred right at the height of her ascending career.
Who is Amanda Sobhy?
Amanda Sobhy grew up in a competitive family of squash players. Her father was a national champion in Egypt who was ranked #30 worldwide before moving to America in 1986. Her mother, an American, won a title in the early 80’s. Amanda’s older brother and younger sister both played squash at the college level.
Amanda was the star of the family, winning four pro tournaments at the tender young age of 16 and adding the 2010 junior world championship to her list of triumphs on her 17th birthday. At #6 worldwide, she ranks higher than any other American-born squash player in the history of the Professional Squash Association.
She’s not content to stay where she is, though. She has beaten every player ranked above her at least once, and clawing her way up into the top five is very attainable. In fact, ESPN put her on track to become the best squash player in the world—but a few months later, she suffered a sidelining injury.
What Happened to Amanda Sobhy’s Achilles Tendon?
Amanda Sobhy ruptured her Achilles tendon on March 10th during the semifinals of a tournament in Floridablanca, Colombia. According to US News & World Report, “She was leading 2-0 when she pushed off to retrieve a drop shot and fell to the court.” The young athlete said it felt like she’d been tripped or kicked by her opponent.
Once she learned that was not the case, she knew the awful truth: a ruptured Achilles tendon meant she’d be out the rest of the year. “While I was lying face down on the court in tears, the medic on site came over to look at my foot,” she recalls. “I couldn’t turn over. I couldn’t even move. I was paralyzed in shock and in pain. I had to concede the match, at match point, and get carried off the court in a stretcher.”
It was a long ambulance ride down the mountain to the hospital, where she had too much idle time to reflect. “This was my job. My passion. It’s what I train for every single day. What gets me out of bed every morning. And now I can’t do it. In an instant, it’s gone. I pushed off to retrieve a drop shot and tore my Achilles,” she explains.
For many patients, the hardest part is accepting what has happened and finding that silver lining. As with anything, it takes time. For now, Amanda is celebrating the small victories—like getting her cast off after five long weeks and starting her rehabilitation work. The 23-year-old hopes to return to the 2017 World Championships in Manchester, England in December.
Looking forward to that goal and maintaining the confidence that she can improve her body through her rehabilitation work will keep her positive and focused. Some people find they get a bit more cerebral in their time off from physical training, which helps them when they do get back to competing. Amanda has been “blogging from the couch” to keep abreast of what’s going on with her competitors.
