On 27 February 2018, on the way to gymnastics team practice, Lila and I discussed leaving gymnastics and switching to cheer. Floor is Lila’s favourite event and she decided that, after her experience the Friday before at Infinity Open Gym, that cheer was the sport for her. We made the call, set up the class, and went to gymnastics. Within the hour, Lila would break her leg on bars – she finished the routine after the break and actually walked out to the car on her own. The next day we found out it was broken and Lila spent 4 weeks in cast. She visited her chosen cheer gym, met her coach, and did her CheerFit exercises at home to be ready to return. When the cast came off, Lila was in more pain than when she broke it.
She was diagnosed with Complex Pain Syndrome, which meant her nerves were firing constantly and even touching her leg hurt.
Her pain was a consistent 8-9 on a scale of 1-10. The doctor gave her a prescription. She signed up for physical therapy and they said they expected it to take 6 weeks. That timeframe meant she would miss tumbling classes and cheer tryouts. So she decided to push through it and work extra hard at home. Within four days of physical therapy she was putting weight on her leg and working on walking without crutches. She’s attending cheer class this week for stretching and she’s determined to make tryouts in May.
– CHEERFIT Ambassador Lila Kessler
