In February 2019, my family and I were in a car accident that knocked me unconscious and resulted in two totaled vehicles. The other vehicle ran a red light, T-boning our vehicle at the spot where I was sitting, which sent our vehicle careening across the intersection, up the curb and into a brick sign. Within 4 minutes emergency responders were on the scene and we were all taken by ambulance to the hospital.

By the protection of the Lord, we all walked out of the hospital that day. I walked away with a severe concussion and a host of soft tissue and musculoskeletal trauma that would present in myriad ways throughout the coming months. This included memory loss, sleep disruptions and bouts of intense pain concentrated around my neck, hip and back.

As an athlete, I was in top shape and feeling strong before the accident. And then I could barely walk — let alone compete in the Tower Running National Championship I was registered for the following week. I cleared my race schedule. I also canceled another tower race, several obstacle course races and a marathon, all which I was looking forward to racing in competitively. God obviously had different plans.

We were each impacted by physical and emotional challenges that continue today. The next 3 months were full of chiropractors, neurologists, pain specialists, counselors, and physical rest from athletic endeavors for our entire family. I realized this was a long haul recovery and I had a lot to learn. I thought I was pretty well-informed in athletic recovery tactics and tools but this injury took it to a whole new level I didn’t know existed. I also learned more about nutrition and how to eat and supplement for concussion and body trauma. I learned ways to test and improve muscle weaknesses and muscle imbalances, coordination, posture, balance, and stability.

Another thing I’ve learned is that every specialized medical professional holds a varying degree of their own unique theory on injury, rehab, nutrition, and overall health and wellness. I most appreciated the holistic, individual and out of the box approaches.

The first time I attempted a run, three months after the accident, my legs radiated pain with every step. This was the hard reality of the substantial loss of strength, power and endurance that I had worked so hard for. It was quite frustrating, especially knowing that I had to regain all that in time to compete in the Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) World Championships in October.

Faith in our Creator, Provider, Lord and Savior gave me patience, trust, hope, and perseverance to go through those long months of slow progress and the unknowns: Would I heal fully and return to running and competing at the same capacity again?

By late June (4-1/2 months after the accident), I felt ready to give it a go. My first race — a Spartan obstacle course race — did not go well. I felt strong enough, but during one of the obstacles sharp pains shot across my back. I dropped back from a potential podium finish to 14th in the elite category. This was disappointing, but fueled me to take active recovery even more seriously in an effort to try again the following week at the OCR Asian Championship. I saw a specialist who was able to identify the specific movements that triggered the pain and help me strengthen those areas, and I went on to take 1st place overall in the non-elite category.

Over the next few months I continued to race and I felt a little stronger with each one, placing 2nd in a tower race and 1st place in two obstacle races. I was able to compete in 4 tough races over a span of 3 days at the OCR World Championships and ran (and won!) a 10-hour running + navigation race with a partner.

However, my body doesn’t heal or recover the same post-wreck. I have to work a little harder for it now. I still experience sharp pain in those most-injured areas from time to time, and I’ve learned to stretch and massage and focus on strengthening the muscle groups around the areas of pain.

Six months after the crash, I discovered an amazing recovery tool which would become one of my favorites: the Beck magnetic pulsing unit. I’ve been using this device on a daily basis for 6 months. I’m impressed to say the least. At first I used it solely on my back, where pain was most problematic. Now I use it anywhere and everywhere that I’m sore and even just when I’m sick. I’ve noticed a consistent, gradual reduction in pain, tension and tightness, and it helps me relax. It’s one of the only tools I have that doesn’t require manual operation, like a foam roller or other massaging devices. I just place it on my body and read. And, also unlike most of my recovery tools, there is no pain or discomfort during use to get the benefits. Pulsed magnetic fields work on a deeper level to restore balance and health. I consider this unit a critical piece of my ongoing healing and a valuable asset in my daily training recovery.

I’m so thankful to have such wonderful tools to help me recover and I look forward to great races in the years ahead!