Rugby star Ellia Green’s top tips to coming back from injury
From creaking knees and niggling injuries, to torn ACLs and complete reconstructions, suffering from injury is something a lot of exercisers go through.
As a professional athlete and rugby player, no one knows that more than Ellia Green – and it's something she used to her advantage.
For Ellia, who has signed on with the Iconic Sport Challenge which helps exercise lovers set and track their fitness goals, although coming back from a knee reconstruction was daunting, it was also a chance for her to strengthen not only her body, but her mind.
“One thing I’ve learnt is that your body will never be 100 percent,” Ellia tells Be.
“You learn to live with niggles. That’s one of the things that has challenged me, not just as an athlete, but as a person. You become mentally strong from overcoming these injuries.
"My advice is to use it as an opportunity to strengthen your body and become even more mentally strong than you were before because you can use it as motivation."
With the Commonwealth Games approaching and the Rugby World Cup Sevens final being held in San Francisco in July, the worldwide appeal of rugby is something Ellia’s noticed more and more.
“Aussies are lovers of all things sport, and it’s quite funny because last year when I played in Vegas, a lot of Americans in the crowd said ‘Oh, this is my first rugby game’. It’s growing so fast,” she says.
With fans from all over the world descending on San Francisco’s AT&T Park for a three-day tournament that features 16 women's teams and 24 men's teams, Ella – who was originally a sprinter – says the dynamic nature of the sport has seen it become more popular.
“I think Americans love the athleticism of Rugby Sevens because a lot of past track sprinters like [US player] Carlin Isles,” she says.
"[He’s] one of the fastest men in Rugby Sevens."
Visit Iconic Sport Challenge to sign up to the challenge.
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