By Derrick Smith
Athletes know that injuries are just part of the risk of playing sports. Some injuries can be minor, while others can be very severe. Overcoming the injury, both physically and mentally, and getting back to competing can be the toughest part. Anayka Besco, who was injured while wrestling for Rose Hill High School, says that the mental aspect of healing can be the toughest part sometimes.
“Recovering for me has definitely been a challenge, both mentally and physically,” she said. “I would have good days where I felt like I could do anything, and then I would have days where I couldn’t even walk without limping. It would get very discouraging and took a lot of effort to work through it. Currently, I am feeling way better. I’m still not one hundred percent ready to do everything I would like, but I’m excited on how close I am getting to being completely healed.”
While the road to recovery is not always an easy or fun one, Anayka knows that listening to doctors and those is charge will get her back on the mat at the right time.
“I am listening to my doctors and doing my physical therapy,” she stated. “Also, I am recognizing my boundaries. It’s hard for me to sit out of things I really want to participate in, but I know that if I push myself too hard then I will only set myself back and ruin all my progress.”
Besco says that wrestling is her favorite sport, but she is also a member of the school’s cross country and soccer teams. She says that her dad and brothers were wrestlers and that is what inspired her to become part of the wrestling team.
“I watched my dad and brothers, who were all wrestlers,” she said. “I decided that I wanted to try it out and I have enjoyed it from the beginning.”
She says that competing in sports at Rose Hill is great because of the backing she receives at her events. “I think my favorite part is just how the school and community support me one hundred percent,” she said. “And they always let me know it.”
After she graduates, Besco plans to attend Baker University to wrestle and study Ecology.
