You Don't Know what You've Got 'Till it's Gone by Becca Saag
It was February 11, 2005; a normal Friday afternoon spent at Earth Treks Climbing Center with my friends. We were bouldering and filled with excitement because in less than a week we would be in Colorado for JIBS nationals. Kathryn and I would be competing in national event for the first time and were eager and couldn’t wait. In the cave was a new problem called short stack. After a few tries, my friends and I sent it. Little did I know, this would be the last climb I sent for quite awhile.
Meanwhile, my friends Kathryn, Hanna, and I headed up the stairs to work out on the hang boards and campus boards. When we got upstairs Hanna and Kathryn ran and got on the two hang boards, so I walked over to the campus board. I placed my hands on the first rung and started my way up. I got to the top and look over my shoulder and said to Kathryn and Hanna, “Hey, I got to the top! And I even switched hands Kathryn. Haha.” I looked down and didn’t want to drop from the top. I had before but it had always scared me. I started to come down one rung at a time. I was successful on the first one and thought to myself this isn’t so bad and decided to come down one more before I dropped.
I took one hand off the rung and placed on the one below, still gripping tightly to the one I was on. I tightened my abs and arm and slowly let go of my left hand to come down. As I did so, my hand slipped. I fell through the air and landed right on my butt. Luckily I hit the matt. Right as I hit the matt, a sharp pain shot up my back. This can’t be happening, I thought. Nationals are next week. I can’t get hurt now! “Ow.” I said in a calm voice. As the pain grew I started screaming. “OW! OW! AHHHH!!!” I rolled around in pain and agony trying to make the severe throbbing go away. I felt as if my back were going to explode. I had never felt this much pain in my life. It was unbearable. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to make it go away more than anything.
“Go get Ryan!” Kathryn said in a panicking voice. She and Hanna ran down the stairs to find my coach, Ryan. In just a few seconds I saw Kjeld, one of the guys that works at Earth Treks. Quinn, a boy who had seen me fall had already gone to get someone.
“What happened?” he asked me.
“I fell.” I managed to say through tears. Within a minute Ryan came upstairs. He asked me what happened and I told him, screaming throughout my explanation. He told Kjeld to call an ambulance. An ambulance! What!?!?!? I thought to myself. I knew my back hurt but I didn’t think it was all that bad.
Ryan sat with me until the ambulance arrived. The EMS came and put me on a backboard. After a while a got carried down the stairs and loaded into the ambulance. I was taken to John Hopkins Hospital. Later that night I found out that I had fractured my L1 vertebra in 2 places. One was a compression fracture, meaning the vertebra was smooshed, and the other was a crack right through the middle of it. Originally, I was told I would have to wear a brace for six-twelve weeks. I was expecting to be back to climbing by May, but it turns out that I wont get my brace off for an extra month.
During this time period I have missed climbing so much. I do everything I can to make it feel like something is not missing, but it is. I still go to my team practices and try to make it to comps to cheer my teammates on to just try and keep the sport with me even though I can’ climb. Over the last few months, I have realized that climbing play a big role in my life. I knew I loved climbing, I just didn’t know that I needed climbing. Climbing in the best sport in the world and it has taught me so much about my life and myself. I think there are many people out there that love climbing, just as I do, but don’t realize how important it is to them. Climbing for two years has taught me to live life to the fullest and has given me self-confidence. “Climbing is s sport I love, am dedicated to, and don’t know what I would do with out.” I said this in a paper I wrote in 2004 for a homework assignment. I now have been with out climbing and realized that I couldn’t stand to not climb. I don’t ever plan on quitting this sport or giving up because it is challenging. I know when I get back from my injury I will have a hard time gaining my strength back, but I can tell you one thing and that is that I will be motivated. My injury has made me realize how much I need climbing in my life.
The old saying is very true. You really don’t know what you’ve got until its gone.
