Persistence and Attitude Help in Rehabilitation and Fitness!

Steve Messineo is the director of All Access Physical Therapy in Shrewsbury Mass. and he wrote about my experiences in Gabon – after getting booted – when I tore my rotator cuff and had some decisions to make.

This is a good story about how mental attributes such as persistence, good attitude and never giving up are key contributors to overcoming injury and achieving great overall health and wellness. I think you will agree with me! Instead of talking about persistence and a “never say die” attitude from my perspective, I thought I’d share the benefit of these attributes from another person’s viewpoint. That person is Gillian Larson, a former contestant on the TV show, Survivor. Gillian was on the show two seasons ago when it took place in Gabon, Africa.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Gillian who happens to be a friend of my friend, Amanda Graves (From Dips to Deserts, Amanda Cooks!, www.amandacookscatering.com, customized meals (low-salt, low-fat, etc) according to people’s dietary needs).

Amanda invited me and my wife (both Survivor fans) over to dinner recently, as Gillian was visiting. Gillian shared her experience on the show as well as her time in Gabon after being voted off (in the second episode, unfortunately).

We learned that Gillian was very persistent throughout the Survivor process. Prior to being on the show in Gabon, she had applied for all of the previous Survivor seasons except the 1st, without success. When she finally made it on, she actually had a game plan, which would have served her well if it hadn’t been for the rest of the stiffs on her team. She told us she knew she was going to be voted off because her tribe had decided she was too happy and loved everything about being there. Also, the older women are always targeted and before even seeing much of them they are too old and weak . I will tell you as a fan of the show that she was stronger physically and mentally than at least 75% of her tribe.

What impressed me the most about her though was her activity after she was voted off. Her show contract required her to stay in Gabon at a separate location from the shoot after she was voted off. She told us she took advantage of her time there by walking through the jungle or along the beach for 5 hours each day to explore and train for a 60 mile Susan Khoman Cancer Walk she was doing in November. I think that is pretty impressive for anyone, let alone a 62 year old woman who was off exploring on her own.

Additionally, she told us that she was teaching a bunch of crew members how to body surf in the ocean when a big wave slammed her pretty hard. The result was a complete tear of her rotator cuff, although she was not completely sure of it at that time outside of the fact she couldn’t lift her arm. She was flown to the local Military hospital and x-rayed. No break, so she and the Survivor doctor felt it was a rotator cuff injury. When given the opportunity to stay or go home because of the injury, she chose to stay for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

So, knowing that her shoulder would freeze if she did not somehow move it (she is a nurse by trade), Gillian started some make shift physical therapy on her own while in Africa. In the pictures below, she was so kind to demonstrate on Amanda’s counter top how she did her own exercises using an empty beer/coconut oil bottle (see picture) that she filled with sand while laying on a table in an abandoned camp (see picture) miles from her lodging so no one would realize the extent of her injury (she demonstrated the exercises she did using a bottle of wine, AND allowed me to do an impromptu PT session in the pictures below).

Anyway, her persistence and attitude helped her maintain some semblance of shoulder strength and motion while she finished out her time in Gabon. She did require major surgery when she returned home to San Diego in October 07′, then a second surgery in January 08′. Her physical therapy care afterwards was quite extensive and painful and a year later she is still committed to 2 sessions a day of PT at home. I am happy to say that she can now lift a bottle of wine over her head – a big victory considering the extent of her injury.

So, as you can see, if a 62 year old woman can do all of this, so can you! You just need to believe, and approach whatever the challenge is, whether it be recovering from an injury, losing 20 pounds, or getting on a reality TV show, with the right attitude. For more on Gillian, you can visit her website at www.GillianLarson.com. Good luck and remember, if we can be of any assistance with injury recovery and improving fitness, give us a call!!

Attend the All-Access Fitness Academy Open House and see if you can SURVIVE our fitness competition combine!!

We are pleased to announce and invite you to an Open House at our new facility on Saturday, August 29th, from 10am to 2pm. The Open House will give you an opportunity to see our new PT clinic and fitness facility in person, work out on us, AND compete in an exercise combine to see how you stack up against other open house attendants! Prizes will be rewarded to those who do well in each exercise and the overall competition, INCLUDING an opportunity to speak directly with Gillian Larson to ask her more about her experience on the TV show Survivor or about her determination in overcoming her injury and subsequent surgery!!

To learn more or register for the Open House this Saturday, call us at 508-845-3974, or reply to this e-mail, and I or Andrea Bacich, our Sales and Marketing Director, will contact you directly. Thanks again for reading.

Steve Messineo, PT, DPT, Executive Director