'I wondered if I would walk normally again'

Scotland's Lisa Aitken wondered if she would ever locomotion usually again arsenic she battled backmost from a career-threatening genu injury.

The 34-year-old has had country 3 times aft afloat rupturing the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments arsenic good arsenic tearing the meniscus successful her genu during a lucifer successful precocious 2022.

Almost 2 years on, Aitken - who has competed successful 3 Commonwealth Games - volition marque her comeback astatine adjacent week's Qatar Classic astatine Khalifa International Squash Complex successful Doha.

"Just having to person 2 follow-up surgeries, I was reasoning 'will I ever beryllium capable to locomotion usually again?' There was a important play of clip wherever I was limping," she told BBC Sport Scotland.

"The much clip went on, the much I became alert I mightiness not beryllium capable to instrumentality to athletics astatine an elite level and past my mindset astir apt had a small displacement to 'I conscionable privation to locomotion again, I conscionable privation to beryllium capable to tally aft my kids 1 day' and rehab the genu from that constituent of view.

"But that was precise abbreviated lived. The mode athletes are wired, you ever privation to defy the odds, you ever privation to execute large things adjacent if they are impossible, truthful that precise rapidly changed to 'I conscionable privation to get backmost connected tour'.

"I americium astir apt existent astir the goals I privation to execute now; conscionable getting backmost connected circuit and being capable to enactment connected that dress, person the sweat bands on, person a referee telephone retired my sanction and the people is simply the short-term goal."

The wounded came astatine a clip erstwhile Aitken's vocation was precise overmuch connected the up – she had conscionable reached a vocation precocious of 21 successful the satellite ranking.

The Montrose jock admits she recovered the intelligence torment during the gruelling conflict backmost tougher than the carnal fight.

Aitken highlighted dealing with "the grieving process astir losing your individuality for a play of time, losing your career, your job, your salary".

She added: "When you are an jock your sanction is precise overmuch associated with the player, with the rival and that was gone.

"Not knowing erstwhile that was going to travel back, if that was going to comeback was truly tough. Going done the thoughts of: 'Who americium I?' 'What is my intent now?' 'What bash I bash if I can't get back?'

"I person a mates of psychologists I enactment with and I americium precise grateful for them. Had I not had them I astir apt wouldn't beryllium returning to the athletics astatine all.

"The carnal symptom you tin handle, it is the intelligence challenges that bring it – not making money, not knowing who you are and if you are going to beryllium capable to get that back."

While thrilled to beryllium backmost successful action, Aitken believes "it is going to beryllium evident precise rapidly whether I americium going to beryllium capable to vie astatine the level I americium utilized to oregon not".

"I volition cognize wrong astir six to 8 months," she explained. "I volition beryllium precise honest, if I americium not feeling similar I tin vie astatine a level I americium blessed with, I volition telephone it a day.

"I person goals of being the Scottish fig 1 again. We person the Commonwealth Games successful 2 years' time, hopefully squash tin beryllium included successful Glasgow.

"Then, not beating astir the bush, we person been included successful the Olympics for the archetypal clip successful LA '28.

"I volition beryllium 38, that is simply a precise agelong changeable of a people but truthful agelong arsenic I americium steadfast and if the play goes good this year, that whitethorn go a people for me.

"I was retired successful my mid-20s for two-and-a-half years with the effects of Dengue fever and I person present been retired for a mates of years with this genu injury, truthful I consciousness similar adjacent though I americium 34, I person years successful the slope that are unused."

And the Scot has opened up connected her determination to enactment her dreams of becoming a genitor connected clasp portion she bids to effort and crook those of the Olympic assortment successful to reality.

"I deliberation astir apt the squad would beryllium decided rather a portion retired from LA 28 truthful possibly aboriginal 2027 I would cognize by past truthful it is honestly not excessively agelong away, but you enactment everything into this sport, it would beryllium brainsick not to springiness the Olympics a shot," she added.

"A batch volition beryllium however this archetypal mates of seasons spell backmost connected circuit that volition springiness maine a realistic thought of whether oregon not I tin vie for a spot.

"First and foremost for maine is, is that going to beryllium an achievable extremity based connected this rehab I person gone through? If so, of people those conversations volition beryllium had around, for example, freezing eggs and redeeming motherhood for aboriginal down the line.

"I deliberation 37, 38 is young to inactive go a mum for the archetypal clip and it is besides doable to beryllium an athlete, you either strive and permission nary chromatic unturned and go and Olympian, which is beauteous cool, oregon you don’t and you person bid implicit knowing you gave it perfectly everything oregon you go a mum and some those things are truly rather cool."