2025 Season Update

The 2025 season was looking great heading into the world cups. Fitness was really good and hopes were high leading up to leaving for Europe. The goal of making another team USA roster had been accomplished and now it was time to turn that into more success at the World cups. Unfortunately life had different plans. 1 week before leaving for Europe I suffered an injury that could not be diagnosed before leaving. It was a normal day when I was getting ready for a ride and out of nowhere I started to experience leg spasms. These spasms were different than normal and more of the type I have when my body is experiencing some sort of pain. I made it to an emergency room where I had multiple test to figure out the cause but doctors could not pinpoint the problem. I asked the doctors if it would be OK to travel to Europe and I was told they didn’t see any obvious injury and it would depend on how I felt. The following few days I did begin to feel better so I decided to make the trip with the team to Europe. However, my injury did not continue to get better once in Europe, in fact slowly but surely my symptoms began to get worse. I was able to compete in the first world cup in Belgium but with mixed results. Placing 11th in the time trial and 14th in the road race was far from the results I was expecting. Part of me considered those results a win due to the fact I shouldn’t have even been racing but another part of me just doesn’t sit well with subpar results.

After those two races I was faced with a very hard decision. Stay in Europe and race but possibly do more harm than good, or go home early to figure out my health. For me the choice was actually easy. I chose to cut my trip short and travel home early to concentrate on my health. For the last few weeks it’s been countless doctors visits seeing numerous specialists to try and figure out what I was dealing with. I was getting very little answers until finally after seeing a neurosurgeon the diagnosis I was given is spinal cord tethering. For now the planned action to deal with this is going to be cortisone shots in my back, plenty of physical therapy, stretching, and also some chiropractic work. I’ll attack this rehabilitation the same way I do training which is with hard work and determination. Keeping my spirits high and a positive outlook. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.