Freestyle Judge Training in Madrid

This weekend I gave a hand to a long-term friend to help him into a delicate task: Examining candidates who passed a freestyle skating judge test.

The judge training was taking place in Madrid, Spain. Kio and Marie, whom I met in rehab, came pick me up at the airport on Saturday afternoon. I worked on the exam videos the candidates would have to explain the next day, and then we went for a night trip, driving the streets of Madrid in Kio's convertible Mercedes, visiting the Temple of Debob (an ancient Egyptian temple that was rebuilt in the center of Madrid), having a drink, going to a friend's where we spent most of the evening telling weird stories about mosquitoes in Asian jungles and English seaside resorts inhabited by old people, until bed-time.

If I could turn back time

2012 has been the stage of an unprecedented act in my life. I am glad to close it, almost 13 months to the day after the accident, a few hours before celebrating 2013.

13 months later... Epilogue.

Indeed I am just out of my last rehab stay: three weeks in the same European rehab resort for injured sportspeople (Dec. 10-29). Paradise. An exhausting paradise, though. All in all, I spent 11 weeks in that heavenly hospital, i.e. 3 full months, punctuated with immersions into real life.

Throughout the year, I relearnt to stand on my two feet, relearnt to walk, relearnt to run, jump, land, relearnt to juke, change directions, speed up and slow down, relearnt to cycle and skate...

I had to re-mobilize the whole leg, get back amplitudes (stretching/flexing), build muscle back...

The final exam is pretty encouraging. I am in the clear and it is still improving: the traumatism is still fresh!

My legs are the same size (which was still not the case one month ago) and almost the same shape, the knee is still loose but the stop is clear (means that the ligament actually grew back although not as tight as before), I got back all my strength (still less endurant and tonic) and almost all my amplitudes (still a bit rusty on the flexing). But I have the green light to work on that and do whatever I want.

Gonna miss the view...

My room.

Single room with balcony and bay window onto the ocean.

Sunset at 5-ish just when I finished my classes.

Seriously, would shower with the door open to admire the view!

...and the atmosphere

...and the people

...and the working like mad

...and the food

Derby Presentation for Gumbies

I am back in the CERS for my third and last stay. Like last time, I was asked to do a presentation of my sport in order to make the patients discover new disciplines. But this time, I had taken the time to structure it and make a powerpoint.

The presentation dealt with roller derby and slalom skating and how/where they are situated in the French skating scene. I am sharing it here... Note: most of the facts are simplified to be clearer, I know that some details given below are not exact but the main point is to make laypeople get acquainted.

FMyLife #5

Surgeon: Unreachable since mid-July despite my chasing up by phone and mail.

Doctor: Stuck with a cast for two weeks and unavailable before the end of September.

These are the two only persons on Earth who can deliver me a prescription for my final three-week physiotherapy stay, which ideally should have taken place... right NOW.

If ever I manage to get the two-line letter with a signature (even a mail would work!) then I will be able to go to my health insurance fund and make my file examined (for the 3rd time -- yep, 3rd stay) by the official doctor who will consequently give the green light to the insurance to agree and bear the medical costs of my 7.000€ 3-week stay (hopefully) but not the cost of the transportation (for which I should ask my surgeon or my doctor for another prescription and bring it to my insurance for a prior agreement, without which I would never get refunded afterwards). Then, eventually, I will call the Center back, send my file with the paperwork, and wait for them to contact me and give me the dates when they have vacancy. FML.

RELATED POSTS:

• FMyLife #1, #2, #3, #4

It's a Long Way to the Top...

... if you want to rock'n roll. 

That's

(my version of)

the slogan of the CERS:

Bringing sportspeople

"BACK TO THE TOP". 

Put together, I've spent two months in that rehab center in the last 7 months. I cannot say that I am the worst off given the surroundings, the care, the food...
Everything is made for you to unplug your brain and concentrate on the improvement of your body.

I arranged things to come to that second stay with my friend Lynda whom I met during my first stay.

For the record it was close to being a disaster -- last fright of the real life: we almost missed our train! Stress, hubdub, hurrying up and... *SWOOSH* we plunged into a soundproof bubble. Alone in the world, nothing from the outside can reach you in there.

The CERS strikes back but I will survive!

Wow you are spoilt today, two puns in one headline!

You must have concluded that:

Yes I'm back in the CERS* !! and Yes it is no picnic...

Note: Strangely enough, this is the second tribute I pay to a freshly dead black female singer in a CERS article. Not on purpose. First Whitney, now Gloria. Should definitely stop going to that place!


 

After 4 weeks spent in February, I signed again. I am in the room next to my previous one: I don't have the amazing view onto the ocean (I mean, I cannot contemplate it when I am lying in my bed) but I can see the training field, which proves to be very useful to check if the weightbearing class has started!

In February, I had program number 2.

Now I have upgraded to number 3, the last stage!

There are three main threads in the center, according to if you are in post-surgery (level 1), semi-strenghtening (level 2) or re-athletisation (level 3). Your doctor puts you in one of the three categories, individualizes your program and adapts it to your special needs. I am *so* glad I have been given the same medical team as last time!

They tried to make me go to rehab...

...and I said 'Yes Yes Yes'

4 weeks’s a long and a short time altogether. And I was longing for this retreat as much as I was dreading it. Longing for being taken care of and sweating, dreading for managing to fit in and make friends. In this first summary I will concentrate on the sweating part, the socializing stuff will be the subject of a second post.

I was in room 432: A single room with a large bay window looking onto the ocean. The bed was the same kind as you find in hospitals with the head and the foot that can be lifted up – which happens to be handy when you want to read or work on your computer. Every morning at around 7:30, the nurses would knock at each door to wake us up. Breakfast was served from 7:30 to 8:30 except on Sundays (rest days) when we could oversleep until 8-ish!

Derbyversaire 2 "Freaky Derby Day"

Yesterday -- Sunday, March 4th was the official celebration day for the second derbyversaire of the Paris RollerGirls. This year because of the lack of sports facilities for skaters in Paris, the PRG couldn't take the risk to organize a bootcamp. However, an event was organized on the fly when we learnt a couple of weeks ago that we could book the hall where we usually play our games in Paris.

The actual derbyversary date of the Paris RollerGirls is on the 14th of February... Saint Valentine day. No use to wonder why Paris Brings the Passion: it was Cupid's birthday gift!

CERS

First day at the CERS*.

Put my clothes in the cupboard. Single room with ocean view. Met the nurse. Met the doctor. Met the physiotherapist. Had a look around. Showered. Ate.

Now waiting for the real thing to start: physio-physio-physio from 8am to 5pm. Alternating with proprioception, balneotherapy and work-out. Every day. 4 weeks. Back in March.

Deep breath: GO!

 

* European Physiotherapy Center for Athletes.

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• Dark Side of the CERS
  
• They tried to make me go to rehab... and I said Yes Yes Yes!
• I feel free...
• Superman's dead
• News of my knee for nosey people