Myknee pain began during my senior season with the UCSC Women’s Volleyball team. It was painful to squat or put any weight on my right leg. I had x-rays and an MRI and was sent to physical therapy for Patellofemoral pain. My kneecap was being pulled laterally out of its normal track because of muscle imbalance and flat feet. This caused the cartilage to be worn away and my tendon to be stressed. I went to physical therapy for a month, resulting in only a small decrease in pain.
Lucky for me, one of my best friends had just become a CrossFit trainer and suggested that I come in. I was initially scared that the intensity would hurt my knee even more. On the first day, Gilly explained my situation to Danielle and I remember her looking straight at me and saying, “I know exactly what pain you’re talking about, I’ve had two knee surgeries. Lets see if we can get you to squat without pain, then you can call your physical therapist and tell him you won’t be coming back. I think we can have you playing volleyball again by April.” Who can argue with that? I stopped physical therapy and started CrossFit five days a week in February.
It took an entire month of squatting to an ab-mat on a box, then just a box, then a smaller box for me to get a proper squat (proper, still not perfect!). By March I was squatting with weight and in April I was doing box jumps. Now I back squat around a hundred and thirty pounds and am playing beach volleyball almost everyday. I’m so thankful to Gilly, Danielle and Hollis for giving me the right tools to continue to be an active athlete, when I had been convinced that I had to give up playing the sport I love. CrossFit served to be an excellent and fun rehab program for my knee and I am so happy with my results.
-Amy Knight
Workout:
"Nasty Girls"
3 rounds for time of:
50 Squats
7 Muscle-ups
135 pound Hang power cleans, 10 reps
