Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan was the only Canadian to win gold in London, but her Rio dreams were in jeopardy when she suffered a concussion during training last summer.
She calls the injury and recovery the “big challenge” of her athletics career. During her recovery, she had to start slowly and work her way through mental exercises, to physical ones then back on the trampoline.
Her determination and therapy paid off when she finished fourth in the world championships in November, quite a feat considering where she was just a few months before.
Now she’s ready for Rio.
“It’s incredible. I’m so glad to be able to have this opportunity. For a while, I didn’t know if I’d actually get the chance,” MacLennan told Global News.
MacLennan was flag bearer and led Team Canada into the opening ceremony in Rio.
“The moment you get the flag, it just all becomes so real. This pretty much tops it off. I thought my dreams came true in London but this is beyond my wildest dreams,” MacLennan said.
READ MORE: Rosie MacLennan: Who is Canada’s newest Olympic flag-bearer?
Going for gold
As she prepares to compete in Rio on Friday, she is used to answering the question about feeling pressure to defend her gold medal.
“I think there’s some pressure and a little extra attention, but my coach and I sat down right after London and we talked about it,” MacLennan said. “We didn’t want to go into Rio as a defending champion, because if you think that way, it’s almost as if you have something to lose, and I really don’t feel as if I have anything to lose.
Nothing to lose, after overcoming so much to get to Rio.
In the video below, MacLennan shares her story about recovery for SportChek’s #WhatItTakes
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