Jein Gadson, 34
Real Estate Private Equity
Houston, TX

I had never had an injury like this before. I'm a pretty active and healthy person, cycling regularly and hiking long distances. What I didn't realize, though, was that those activities required different muscle groups and worked my legs in different ways than they were used in Racquetball. I learned something.

I tore my Achilles tendon while playing racquetball over the Christmas holidays. I knew immediately that I had done something pretty bad to my ankle. I had never had an injury like this before. I'm a pretty active and healthy person, cycling regularly and hiking long distances.

What I didn't realize, though, was that those activities required different muscle groups and worked my legs in different ways than they were used in Racquetball. In cycling, you deal with the strengthening and endurance of leg muscles, as opposed to impulse demands on the muscles experienced in Racquetball. And I don't play the game as much as I used to. The spontaneous movement of Racquetball was just too much for muscles that aren't worked that way very often. I learned something.

Dr. Sanders did surgery and a clean repair job. I went in that morning and was home by five o'clock the same day. He told me to stay off of it during the repair phase and to begin with some basic exercises after that. He's a fellow cyclist and knew I was itching to get back to that and my exercising. So, he recommended cycling as part of my rehabilitation. He's a great guy and he's been a big help through all of this.

I continue to exercise the leg everyday. My only limitation when I'm cycling now is cardiovascular, because I need to build back up to where I was. But, I don't even notice the injury.