Not Allison Baver, 29-year-old member of the U.S. Speedskating Team and a 2002 and 2006 Olympian. Baver, who collided with teammate Katherine Reutter on February 8 in Bulgaria during the ISU World Cup, was left with a split right tibia and ankle impacted with shattered bone.
“We were going about 35 mph around a corner and I was hit in the chest and spun around backwards,” she recalled.
When I first met Baver, I felt goosebumps as she walked towards me. I was in sight of a miracle. A long tattoo-like scar on her shin was the only visible reminder of her painful injury. She was smiling and looked relaxed despite the fact she had just finished an intense two-hour practice on ice with her teammates at the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
“It feels good to be back here,” said Baver, who trained at the USOEC from 2000 to 2002.
Baver is not just a world-class athlete. She is also a beautiful young woman with a signed contract with Wilhelmina Models, one of the most successful modeling agencies in the world. Before arriving at the rink to interview her, I checked out her website www.AllisonBaver.com and, I’ll admit, felt a bit intimidated. Model. Olympian. MBA. What couldn’t this gal do when she put her mind to it?
Baver was on an extremely tight schedule while in Marquette, training six to eight hours per day. But as she explained, eyes bright, “If I can do anything to inspire someone else not to give up hope after an injury, I want to do that.”
An aura of positive energy surrounds Baver. The tibial break was not the only injury she has had to overcome. During the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, she experienced a serious bone bruise, but came back to become the 2007 U.S. short-track champion.
Emotional resilience
Since all food choices are directed by the central switchboard of thought, i.e. our brains, I asked Baver how she dealt with the psychological aspect of her most recent untimely injury.
“I counted my blessings,” Baver replied. “It could have been worse.”
When she was told “no toe to the ground for 2-1/2 months,” she didn’t sink into a funk and dive into a bowl of M&Ms. Baver went out and bought a medicine ball and an exercise DVD. “Yeah, me — an Olympian — buying a home exercise DVD,” she said.
But Baver followed through, doing those exercises demonstrated on screen that kept her off her feet. She managed to gain four pounds of core muscle through her trunk area while convalescing.
“I would ask myself, ‘What can I do today?’ and then focus on that daily goal,” she said.
Baver also underwent intensive rehab, with some sessions lasting six hours a day. The support of her family, teammates and strength coach helped her through this period, too, she said.
Nutrition key
Immediately after her injury, Baver started taking arnica every four hours. “Arnica is a homeopathic treatment for injuries, Baver said. “I was in Bulgaria, so I didn’t get medical treatment until after I flew back to the States. Arnica helps to reduce the swelling and risk of infection.”
I asked if she was concerned about risking her Olympic team status by taking supplements. She said no, as athletes are legally permitted to consume any food or herb that is not a performance enhancer.
More difficult for Baver was figuring out how many calories and how much protein she needed to support healing without gaining weight while her activity level was greatly reduced.
“I’m used to eating a lot of calories,” Baver said, “My strength coach kept reminding me I had to eat to heal.” Throughout her rehab Baver concentrated on “eating clean,” which meant cutting down on red meat, sweets and focusing on getting in enough calcium every day. During the first months after surgery, she said she ate a lot of chicken supplemented with calcium, magnesium, silica, vitamin C, zinc, coenzyme Q10, l-lysine, and essential fatty acids. Some of her mainstay foods were yogurt, melon and raisin bran.
“I didn’t count calories or grams of protein,” Baver said. Instead she selected only low glycemic index carbohydrates found in fresh fruit, vegetables and unprocessed foods.
Since I first spoke with Baver back in June, she has continued to train knowing the Olympic Trials this September will be tough. Via e-mail in August she had this to say:
“I have cut out all sweets and have actually added just a bit more carbs now that I’m training more. I’ve struggled a bit to find my routine and body weight as it relates to my nutrition since the injury. It’s such a major change to the body it’s been tough to find a balance!”
With the 2010 U.S. Olympic Trials for speedskating short track set for September 8-12 in Marquette, Baver knows she will be tested. “Trials coming up soon. But, aah, who’s counting the days?” she wrote.
Just reading about Baver’s courageous return to competition does not do her justice. Seeing her fly around the rink does. She has already demonstrated true Olympic spirit through her remarkable achievements. Wish her good luck!
Donna Marlor, MA, BSN, RD, holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and nursing from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She is a former NMU cross-country ski team member, and still enjoys competing in skiing and running at the master’s level. Marlor resides in Marquette, Michigan, with her husband and chocolate Lab, and can be reached via www.donnamarlor.com.
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