PERSPECTIVES - ATHLETE FEATURE
The Journey of a Ninja Warrior CompetitION
Lindsay Partenio was a fierce competitor on American Ninja Warrior Season 11, with a passion for running and fitness. Her journey started when she signed up for her first obstacle course race on a whim 2.5 years ago. The initial experience lit a fire in her, which is still burning strong. Despite being a 38-year old mother with two young children and endless responsibilities, that didn’t stop her. She was in the best shape of her life… until her "ninjury” happened, and life took a turn.
IN THE NEWS:
Lindsay quickly fell in love with the ninja gym and has been hooked ever since.
“I went to a ninja gym to improve my grip strength, quickly fell in love with the sport, and have been hooked ever since. Taking a chance, I applied for Season 11 of American Ninja Warrior and was selected to run the course in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a dream come true being surrounded by such incredible and inspiring athletes from all over the world, and having the opportunity to set foot on the same stage as the big name ninjas that I had only previously seen on TV.”
Although her performance did not meet her own expectations in Season 11, she used that as fuel to motivate her to work even harder in hopes of defeating the course in Season 12. At that point, she was able to perform all the gymnastics tricks that she had been trained to do in her peak teenage years. She was pumped to work on her submission video for Season 12, where she would have the opportunity to showcase her improvement.
“I wanted my intro [for the submission video] to be flashy, so I did a front flip off a mini trampoline and tried catching myself on a spider wall. It was a terrible idea (that would’ve been totally epic had I nailed it). I still can’t get the screeching sound of my right leg sliding across the wall as I fell through to the mat below me. My knee bent inwards and popped out of place and back in. I felt a big “pop” and then heard a mini bonus “pop” on top of that.”
Screaming in pain and shaking uncontrollably, she thought she was about to pass out at that point. However X-ray results at the ER came up clear and she was dismissed to go home - instructed to follow up with an orthopedist in seven to 10 days if pain and swelling continued…
Lindsay knew her body best though - her gut was telling her that something was seriously wrong and that she needed help sooner.
“…so I went to the doctor the following day and ordered an MRI. I was non-weight bearing and had to carry juice boxes with me because any movement made me lightheaded. Five days later, I received the news that I had a complete rupture of the ACL and impaction fracture of the posteromedial and posterolateral tibial plateau, high-grade injury of the posterolateral corner structures, low-grade sprain/interstitial tearing of the LCL, and multifocal tears of the medial patellar retinaculum… and possibly damage to the meniscus on top of all of that”.
Recovery from an ACL tear is no easy feat: "I’m starting over, but I’m not done dreaming yet”
All she heard was “ACL tear” and the rest was a blur. She knew the recovery process for ACL injuries was a long one, and felt all her hard work slipping away. She knew that it would likely mean she would have to sit out of the season of American Ninja Warrior and put Obstacle Course Racing on hold. That didn’t sit well with her at all.
“I have always wondered how people stay sane without being able to run off the crazy. I feel all the feelings and somehow my heart hurts more than my knee does. I can’t pretend that I’m not devastated and grieving the loss of the sports I loved. I allow myself moments to feel sad, weak, angry, frustrated, and scared, but then I pick myself up and try to think positive.”
“I am blessed to have a supportive and encouraging husband, family, and friends near and far. Most importantly, I have two little ones that are watching how I handle this setback and I hope I do so with grace and make them proud.”
Eager to be back at her sport, her patience has truly been tested, with her surgeon insisting that she put sports on hold in order to allow the injuries to heal and gain full range of motion before surgery.
Despite the flood of mixed emotions however, she remains hopeful and grateful:
“I’m trying to be a good patient by doing all my home exercises and refraining from all the gymnastics/ninja/running I’m tempted to do now that I’m so mobile again. I love my physical therapists, who I think double as talk therapists.
I look forward to each session and every time a new exercise is added I get a similar rush that I’d get nailing a new skill at the ninja gym, even if it’s just getting a full rotation on the stationary bike for the first time (if you’ve been through it, you know how good that feels).
I keep looking forward to hitting milestones in my recovery. I’m in the best mood and feel most like myself when I go to the gym, blast some music, bust out arm and ab exercises, and focus on what I can do instead of thinking about what I can’t.”
Like any major injury, she is aware of the long road ahead, but feels prepared.
“I’m sure I’ll have my ups and downs both mentally and physically, but just like everything else in life, it will always get better.”
One quote that really resonated with her, from C.S. Lewis is: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“I’m pushing forty and I’ll be starting over, but I’m not done dreaming yet. I’m coming back from this.”
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Thank you Lindsay for sharing your story and helping to inspire athletes across the globe!
SPECIAL THANKS TO KEY PLAYERS IN LINDSAY’s RECOVERY:
Pamela McDonald, PT
Darren Kaus, ATC
Dr. Asheesh Bedi, Surgeon - University of Michigan
Daryl R Montie, PT