As a Physical Training Instructor, fitness has always been a key part of my identity. However, injury forced me to face a challenge that many athletes and soldiers experience but rarely expect.
After rupturing 2 ligaments in my ankle whilst simultaneously suffering with a disc bulge in my spine pressing against my sciatic nerve affecting my mobility and performance for almost 2 years, I was forced to rethink my approach to training.
Now don’t get me wrong I was always disciplined, I always worked hard and these attribute are what gave me the foundations to bounce back as I did BUT, I used to train for other people and often neglected what my body needed. I didn’t need to just lift the heaviest weights possible and constantly push myself to breaking point. There is a time and a place for that at the end of a good training block to PB your lift, your race time or take on a tough challenge. 
During the recovery process I learnt valuable lessons in patience, resilience, and the importance of intelligent training. Rather than focusing on what I could no longer control, I concentrated on what I could control—building strength, improving mobility, and developing my aerobic fitness. I didn’t stay sedentary, I did what I could whether that was walking in a swimming pool, easy cycling to reduce load or even as little as just laying there and focussing on my breathing. These little things made a HUGE difference in my comeback.
I think this is something we’ve lost focus on as a society. I feel the news and social media teach our brains to focus on everything that is going wrong around us and that we should concentrate on what we cannot control. Instead, we just need to step back, take a condor moment, and rethink our approach and attack the goal again more efficiently and with a winners mentality.
Today, I am fitter, more knowledgeable, and more motivated than ever. The setbacks that once seemed negatively life altering have become the foundation for new goals and achievements. I now pursue challenges that I previously believed were beyond my reach, proving that injury does not have to be the end of progress—it can be the beginning of a stronger and more capable version of yourself.
I now strive to help others understand that setbacks are temporary, but the lessons learned through adversity can last a lifetime. NEVER take for granted the health and movement you have today.
HARD TARGET JOURNAL CONTRIBUTOR
Written by: Niall ‘Sully’ Sullivan
British Army PTI, passionate about fitness and rehabilitation.
Instagram: @the_spud_lab_performance
TikTok: @spud.lab.performance
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