Two time Olympian Roy Allan Burch has written a letter in hope that Bermuda and our people can help him I his time of need.
On Friday, March 27, 2015, I attended practice with Swim Mac Team Elite as usual. Before we get into the pool, we do dry land and during our dynamic portion of dry land, we were performing vertical jumps, and upon take off, I ruptured both of my patella tendons. I was immediately seen by a Charlotte orthopedic surgeon who confirmed the rupture. I was then referred to one of the best Orthopedic surgeons in Charlotte, Dr. Donald D'Alessandro with OrthoCarolina. He wanted to operate right away, so I was admitted to Carolinas Medical Center and we scheduled an emergency surgery for 9am on Saturday, March 28th.
The surgery was shorter than expected, and luckily, it was only my patella tendons that had ruptured and there was no other meniscal or ligamental damage. The surgeon expressed that he rarely sees a bilateral patella rupture, but that he would imagine I had multiple micro tears to begin with, leading me to be susceptible to this injury.
As of now, I am in leg immobilizers and recovering from surgery. My first post-operative appointment is on April 6th and my physical therapy begins April 8th. I have been promised a great team of therapists who will get me back to where I was before Friday.
This has been devastating for me, my family, and my teammates. My wife expressed to me that upon waking from anesthesia, I was sobbing asking "What did I do to deserve this?" And "Why me?" In reflecting on these feelings, there is nothing I want more than to represent Bermuda in Rio 2016, and in preparation for that, I have put everything I have, including my body, on the line. This injury is not going to change the path, but is simply a "bump in the road."
My wife found a quote over the weekend that she thought fit me perfectly, "Hold the vision, trust the process." This recovery process will take time but I will treat this time just as I do during a typical training week. I understand I will have to be especially patient, as I will miss meets that I have been working towards this season. The positive side is that I will have a fresh start by the end of summer.
During this time, I will need support from multiple areas of my life to make this recovery possible. My wife, for starters, has filed for medical leave from her work in order to care for my needs, aid in exercising me in my early rehabilitation, and provide me with transportation to and from all doctor appointments and therapy appointments. My extended family have offered support as well, taking time off from work to help make the process run smoothly. SwimMac has offered to help aid in any way they can, including adapting the way I train both in and out of the pool. One of the most important areas from which I will need support is from my country. The pride I have in representing Bermuda is insurmountable.
I take my profession extremely seriously, and hold great pride in being a role model to the youth of Bermuda. I cannot stress how much the support from Bermuda will speed my recovery. This is not something I can do alone. Bermuda's faith in me, at this point in time is of the utmost importance.
Sincerely,
Roy-Allan Burch
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