1Eight months ago, I landed badly after a jump and tore a ligament in my knee.
2The doctor told me I would not play again for at least a year, and I felt my world collapse.
3Basketball had been the centre of my life since I was eleven years old and joined my first club.
4The first few weeks after the operation were honestly the darkest period I have ever experienced.
5My physiotherapist, however, was a strict woman who refused to let me feel sorry for myself.
6She gave me small daily goals, like bending my knee a few degrees further than yesterday.
7Progress was painfully slow, and there were many days when I honestly wanted to give up completely.
8What kept me going was learning to celebrate tiny daily victories instead of chasing distant dreams.
9Gradually, the exercises became harder, and I slowly started to feel like a real athlete again.
10Last week, for the first time since the injury, I ran freely across the court again.
11I am not the player I was yet, but I am far stronger in my mind than before.
12This injury taught me that resilience is built one boring, painful day at a time.