Olympic track star Lolo Jones thought for certain that her career would be put on an indefinite halt after she suffered a serious hip injury. However, God in all His gracious mercy has blessed her with a complete recovery.
"They say I recovered faster than any other athlete who had hip surgery. Originally, I was told that there was absolutely no way I could recover in time for the indoor track season," Jones said during an interview with ESPN. "Recovery went so well, I'm having my first pro race at the end of this month. I think God allowed me to have this breakthrough."
Looking back, Jones said that things really looked bleak when she suffered her injury. It was extremely difficult during that time to maintain a hopeful perspective because she knew for certain that her dreams would have to take a backseat.
"It was the first time in my career that I thought, I don't know if I can try this again. Mentally, I was breaking down. I love running and had a desire to go to Rio in 2016, but the setback was mentally draining. It messed with my confidence," she admitted. "I had a lot of anxiety and seriously thought about quitting. I had moments when I cried and wanted to give up. I went through the typical stages of feeling sorry for yourself."
But in the end, Jones decided that worrying will do her no good and resolved to focus on getting better. When she finally did so, her recovery simply astounded her.
"It proved to me how mentally tough I am, that I could pour my heart into a sport in the face of failure. This helps going into Rio, where people are saying, 'She's been injured, she's too old, she should throw in the towel,'" Jones shared. "I have already faced failure. You've got to continue to pursue your dreams even when it hurts. It's not how you start, but how you finish."
