Olivia Neilson said tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), meniscus and breaking her femur were heartbreaking but pivotal moments in her life because they put her on the path she needed to be on and allowed her to focus her life on God. Neilson added she was able to find happiness as she found new passions in weight lifting and social work.
Ball is life
Neilson, a senior from Utah majoring in social work, said growing up with four brothers and one sister contributed to her love of sports. She explained she learned to love basketball when she was little and played throughout her childhood and high school years.
She added she gave basketball her all and it was a way for her to cope because it became an outlet whenever she felt anxious, sad or stressed.
After receiving a scholarship offer to play college level basketball, she said her plan was to play in college and become a college coach. But Neilson said after tearing her ACL, MCL, meniscus and breaking part of her femur, she was unable to finish the season and instead faced over a year of physical therapy and recovery.
Due to her injury, she said she lost her scholarship. Although she understood why the scholarship was taken away, she explained she felt everything else was also being taken from her. “It was the hardest time in my life because things I would use as my self-care, like running, basketball, going out for a walk or going out to do active things with my friends, [these things] were all taken from me.”
Because the rupture was so abrupt and had taken pieces of her femur, she said she had to be in a straight leg brace for two months and experienced eight months of physical therapy. Part of physical therapy, she explained, was getting the bending motion back and working on regaining her strength.
Re-centering her life on God
The first time Neilson said she was seriously injured was during her freshman year when she tore her ACL. She explained she didn’t realize she had been injured until her coach pulled her to the sideline. “He had me stand on my leg and then pushed me. Because I didn’t have any ligaments that would help me, I collapsed.”
However, the second time she sustained a serious injury, she said, “I knew right away and I knew it was bad.” She said her father had to come down on the court and carry her to the locker room.
“Initially what went through my head was ‘I’m going on a mission,’” she said. Neilson shared how three days prior to the injury, she was talking with her best friend and her best friend’s mother about whether or not she would serve a mission.
“I jokingly said to her, ‘If some sort of sports ending injury were to occur to me, then that would be a sign for me to go on a mission. But no, I’m going to accept the scholarship to go play basketball.’”
After her father gave her a blessing in the locker room, she said it was still difficult.” I hated it, but I had a very strong confirmation I was going to be okay.” She said she knew she would be able to figure out the next parts of her life.
She said the experience taught her how much she loved basketball, and added as she served her mission, she realized how much basketball had “consumed her life.” While serving her mission in England, she shared she was able to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and deepen her testimony. Her injury was a way to focus on God instead of basketball, Neilson added.
Trying to make a comeback
When she returned home from her mission, she said she decided to play in a spring league to start training and possibly walk onto a college team. Neilson said, “I had the stupid thought that [because] I served God, and I did my part, now he’ll bless me.”
Soon after attempting to get another scholarship to play basketball, she said she tore her ACL and MCL on the opposite leg, had surgery and endured eight more months of recovery. She shared she really struggled this time because she knew she wouldn’t be able to play basketball again.
“I struggled the most because I knew I would be giving up such an important part of my life. I struggled because I didn’t really have anything to look forward to like I did when I decided to go on my mission.” She said she got really frustrated with the world and grew unhappy about where she was at. As she would try and push herself to do her physical therapy, she said she would always question why getting better mattered if she wasn’t going to be able to play the sport she loved.
Her injuries, which she said occurred every three years, made it so she would go through intensive physical therapy, get back to peak fitness and then become injured again. Neilson explained after the last injury, she wasn’t motivated to get her strength back until she realized she needed to find something to make her happy.
“I can either sit here and cry about it or I can go find something else to help me stay fit and be healthy but not hurt my knees,” she said.
Getting her spark back
After some time, Neilson said she was told by a friend about a coaching position at a high school in Utah. She said she was initially worried coaching would be tough on her because of how much she missed playing.
However, she said she soon realized she “had just as much joy being a coach to the girls on the team as when [she] … played.” Coaching, she said, brought her out of the slump she was feeling and motivated her to get back into fitness. She said she was able to find a way to still have the influence of basketball in her life and be happy.
“I was filling that void of basketball through coaching and that gave me the motivation to be fit again, [which] is when I picked up lifting,” Neilson explained. She shared she was able to lift weights with the girls on the team and really “dove into it.” She added weightlifting allowed her to remain fit while protecting her knees from constant pressure, which usually happens when running. But most importantly, she said was able to find a way to enjoy fitness again.
Destiny Weidow, a junior from Montana majoring in social work, said Neilson “isn’t afraid of testing her own limits and always encourages me to test mine and push myself.” Weidow shared how when she is struggling with doubting herself, Neilson is always there to push her to never give up.
“She focuses on being better than yesterday [because she knows] by focusing on being a little better each day and staying consistent, [people] will eventually get to where [they] want to be.”
She shared they made a goal to be able to do a four-minute wall sit by the end of the semester. Each time they practiced, she said they would increase their time by three seconds. “That’s what I love about [Neilson]. She’s always trying to improve herself, not by drastic measures, but by making small incremental changes and improvements every day.”
Leaving it up to God
Reflecting on her experience, Neilson shared, “I am a very stubborn and organized person, but what I learned was some things [I] have to leave up to God.”
She said her experience helped her realize she has no control over her life, but God does. “I struggled so much because basketball was everything to me and went before everything in my life, including God. That is where I went wrong.”
Looking back on her three injuries, she shared she always had a huge plan for her life, but she realized what God really wanted for her. “I would go through the second injury again to be able to go on a mission because my mission changed me more than basketball ever would have.”
Through her mission, she shared she was also able to identify her strength of talking to people and her desire to help others. “I find joy in helping others and I wouldn’t have found that out if I wouldn’t have been forced to go out and talk to random people every day.”
Because of her experiences on her mission, she said she was led to change her major to social work. She explained social work “has become an even bigger and more important passion than basketball.” •