Transforming Loss Into Gratitude
By Helena Marcic
When I was 10 years old, my dad gave me a tennis racket. To this day, I cherish that gift. Before tennis, I had been involved in multiple sports: soccer, basketball, dance, and martial arts. Yet, it wasn’t until I held that racket in my hands that I finally felt a passion for what I was doing. I knew this sport was meant for me.
Shortly after I received this gift, my parents signed me up for tennis lessons. From there, years passed, along with countless hours spent on the court. I began to participate in USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments and was convinced I would play competitively for many years to come.
I had a plan: I would continue to compete, build my ranking, play on the high school team, and ultimately play in college. It was a lot for a girl in her early teens to have planned out, but I was determined. Unfortunately, our plans don’t always go as smoothly as we hope.
During one practice, I was shuffling around the court, intent on winning the current rally. However, when the ball bounced very close to the net, I ran hard and stopped suddenly (a bad idea).
As I stopped, I felt a snap and my knee buckled—then came a burning pain. I was in shock. I had no idea what had happened. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t move my leg, and I felt an overwhelming urge to start sobbing. I found it hard to comprehend that in a split second, so much could change.
My dad carried me off the court, while the coaches grabbed an office chair to wheel me out to our car. One X-ray and an MRI scan later, my dad received a call: “Sir, she has a full ACL tear and a partial meniscus tear.”
When I heard the news, I felt immense devastation. I knew what an ACL tear meant—no more tennis for months. I was engulfed in sadness and frustration: sadness because I wouldn’t be able to play for a long time, and frustration knowing how far this would set me back in my development as a tennis player.
The following months were hard, characterized by a difficult surgery, intense physical therapy, and numerous doctor’s appointments. Finally, after nearly a year, I received the “okay” to return to the court.
At this point, I had gone from playing almost every day to not picking up my racket for months, and it showed. I felt discouraged about the time it took to get back to my previous form, and the fear of reinjuring my knee haunted every step I took on the court. My physical battle had become a mental war.
The loss of what I had worked so hard for was overwhelming. I felt trapped, hopeless, and sorry for myself. I had a decision to make: I could wallow in my situation, or I could transform my setback into something else. Self-pity wasn’t going to undo the injury; it would only prevent me from becoming a better version of myself.
I was only 14 at the time—fairly young to sustain an ACL injury. Yet, looking back, I see how that event transformed me over the following years. I can now say that I am truly grateful for the experience. I learned so much about both my body and the process of healing (physical, mental, and emotional). I overcame a “loss” and turned it into an opportunity to come back stronger, with more gratitude for the things I had been given.
Learning to take life as it comes and find the good in everything is not easy; however, it does make us stronger. We don’t often get to choose our circumstances, but we do get to choose our outlook. Harnessing this mindset will help pull us through our trials. So, don’t let your sorrows negate your happiness. Almost every negative experience can have a positive side to it—we just need the willingness and determination to find it.
If you’d like to connect with Helena, you can find her on Instagram at @helenamarcic.
