Ever since Lindsey Vonn got injured, one thing has been filling my social media, and it was that she was selfish for still competing. Yet, I cannot help but think about several others who have been celebrated for doing this exact thing.
Something often ignored within athletics is the importance of health, especially for the athletes competing. This leads to many athletes, no matter what sport they compete in, to still play, rather than heal. This being said, hearing an athlete called selfish for competing when several others have done the same thing just rubs me the wrong way.
Now, do I think anyone who is injured should ever compete, rather than let their injury heal? Not at all. I do not encourage or condone anyone to push their body past the limits, and there is no shame in saying no because you are injured. That being said, it is hard to ignore that what is selfish for one athlete is selfless for another.
Some of the most celebrated moments in sports come from athletes choosing to put competition above their health. Prior to game 6 of the 2004 ACLS, Curt Schilling underwent a procedure to repair a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle. Schilling then started bleeding while pitching, leading to the infamous “bloody sock.” Yet, this moment is celebrated because his performance in this game helped the team secure a victory and the Red Sox’s first World Series title since 1918.
Another athlete celebrated for competing through an injury is Tiger Woods. Woods competed in the 2008 U.S. Open with a torn ACL and double stress fractures in his left tibia. Woods then won this competition, further solidifying his place as one of golf’s greatest players.
It is not only male athletes who have been celebrated for competing while injured. Gymnast Keri Strug completed an amazing vault after spraining her ankle at the 1996 Olympics, a choice that helped the U.S. gymnastics team win gold, making history as the first time the team won the Olympic team competition.
Celebrating athletes’ resilience through injuries is not something that has gone away with time. Following the Bills’ playoff loss to the Broncos, quarterback Josh Allen revealed he had played the end of the regular season and all of the playoffs with a broken bone in his right foot. Yet, after revealing this, fans did not call Allen selfish or say that he was taking a spot from another player, but highlighted his resilience and determination in still competing. Even though the Bills’ season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Broncos, Allen did not use his injury as an excuse for this, earning even more respect from fans.
Honestly, all of these moments are nothing short of inspirational, proving the resilience, determination, and mental toughness that come with being an elite athlete. I seriously wonder if these athletes had not succeeded, such as what happened when Vonn tried to compete, if we would still hold them in such high regard. All of the above either won or, in the case of Allen, still played well and held his head high following a heartbreaking playoff loss. I also wonder if Vonn had not been injured during her Olympic race, if she would not currently be celebrated for her resilience and determination, rather than being called selfish for attempting the race.
This just opens a bigger conversation, which is that athletes, especially key players, are almost expected to compete during tough times. One of the most well-known examples of this is Simone Biles, who withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics due to a mental health condition called the “twisties.” The “twisties” is a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose their sense of location during aerial skills, often causing an athlete to lose control and potentially causing physical injuries. Yet, when Biles chose to withdraw, critics labeled as a “national embarrassment” and said that her decision was selfish and unprofessional. Again, I cannot help but think if she had competed and got injured, would she still have been considered selfish, would she have been a hero if she won, and why was she villainized for choosing her health and safety over competition?
Athletes ultimately are still human beings, meaning that they will get injured and go through a variety of challenges. Chances are, no one on the internet knows the full story, and certainly does not know more than the athlete, their family, and their doctors. So instead of criticizing someone who was cleared to compete for doing so, and maybe understanding that you do not know the full story.
We as a society need to have a bit more empathy and understanding towards the athletes that we look up to. Instead of celebrating a few athletes for competing while injured, and criticizing others, or even criticizing a choice to put health first, we need to understand that it is not the place of fans to play doctor, and consider that there is more to everyone’s story.
Honestly, I am just constantly left confused and disappointed. With the rise of everyone being a commentator, it seems a lot of empathy is lost, and that as fans, we are actually the ones pressuring athletes into putting competition above their own health and well-being.
