Sidelined Stories

Following a severe labrum tear that derailed her dancing career in college, Chrissy Papetti spent the next several years working through an intense physical recovery on top of the emotional journey following the loss of her craft. Many athletes sidelined by injury experience an additional layer of complexity in their transitions forward - the physical rehabilitation to rebuild a normal quality of life. Walking around and exploring a new city, going on a daily run, or playing a pick-up game of ball with some friends can be problematic for sidelined athletes due to the residual pain caused by damage to their bodies from the injuries they have sustained.

Battling pain for years following her injury, Chrissy sought and tried every medical option on the market in an effort to regain her quality of life. Nothing worked and it seemed she was out of options. At her wits' end, she reluctantly explored an option which at first, seemed absurd - the mental side of pain management. By keeping an open mind, the research-based strategies she employed drastically altered the trajectory of her pain management journey and she now lives a normal life where pain no longer prevents her from living her life to the fullest.
Now an Occupational Therapist and Life/Mind Coach working with sidelined athletes and performers, Chrissy brings a full spectrum knowledge of the issues at play for individuals looking to rebuild after experiencing a medical exit from competition. In this interview, Chrissy speaks to the life transitions of sidelined dancers, discussing some of the unique aspects of their emotional recovery and explains how mindset work enabled her to regain control over the pain that for so long limited her quality of life.

With her sights set on earning a spot on the Olympic ice skating team, Val Jones was devastated when at 18, she was told she could never skate again following one severe knee injury. Just one triple lutz gone wrong and everything she had worked for her entire life was stripped away. Without any support resources or someone to help her talk through her loss, Val found herself processing that deep grief on her own and struggled for years to come to a place of personal acceptance and hopefulness for the future.

Now a motivational speaker, CrossFit instructor and CrossFit gym owner, Val shares insights she has learned over the past three decades about utilizing what she learned in sports to retain the competitive spirit for life. In this candid interview, Val speaks about the significance of sidelined athletes allowing themselves the grace to grieve the loss and encourages them to harness social support, gratitude, and the competitive drive in order to come to terms with their new reality and find a meaningful way forward.

An inspiring interview for all competitive athletes, encouraging us to reflect on the power of sports in shaping the inner person and preparing us for a lifetime of overcoming mental and physical obstacles of all kinds.

His freshman year of high school, Dexter Hollingsworth faced the complex decision to discontinue football due to a series of concussions that left him vulnerable to long-term brain health damage if he continued. Dexter shares about this difficult decision and how the support of his family, team, and coaching staff enabled him to find a positive path forward. Dexter speaks about the transformative power of staying involved in the sport he loved through alternate avenues. Now a graduate assistant coach for quarterbacks at the University of Southern Mississippi, his story demonstrates the power of adaptability to achieve the same thrill of competition long after your days of competing are over.

Also a great listen for coaches looking to learn how to provide meaningful support for athletes forced to discontinue competition due to medical concerns. This team did it right!

It's been said that there's no testimony without a test. For NFL Player, Johnathan Franklin, that test was an unforgiving and brutal reality check that one play can destroy an athlete's career at any moment's notice. Listen to accomplished RB, Johnathan Franklin's testimony about the after-math of learning that no doctor would ever clear him to play again after a spinal contusion suffered in a game against the Minnesota Vikings his rookie year in the NFL. By all accounts, Johnathan appeared on the outside to be handling the situation in stride, pushing forward to new pursuits. Internally, what no one knew, was that his identity, his confidence - had been shattered with the loss of the dream he had worked his whole life to achieve. Johnathan opens up about his inward brokenness and confusion, despite the facade he displayed. In this interview, you'll be inspired to hear Johnathan's personal transformation as he learned to release the pain, accept it, and embrace a higher purpose behind it. Johnathan's deep faith helped him emerge from the ashes and find his worth in something more secure than his ability to compete on the football field. Now working with the LA Rams in Community Affairs and Engagement and as a selective game analyst for CBS-aired Rams games, Johnathan has turned his passion for football into a new career path and is living out bigger dreams in ways he never dreamt. A don't-miss interview that will leave you inspired to keep dreaming and reinventing yourself no matter what obstacles you encounter.

The story of how one major concussion sidelined Alissa Boyhtari's hockey career and forced her to carve a different path forward. Alissa shares her experience with concussions during her teen years and the pressure she felt to "tough it out" as a competitive athlete. Hear her story of her path to brain health recovery and how she resolved to listen to her body instead of the external pressures to get back to "normal life". Alissa shares how her faith enabled her to solidify her personal self worth in something more solid than the opinions of others. In this interview, you'll learn the complications that can come with having an "invisible injury" which nobody else can see. An interesting interview to learn more about how concussions can affect athletes trying to get used to a new normal.