VOA标准英语2010年-Overcoming Sports Injuries is both Men

Women are more prone¹ to sports related injuries than men, but overcoming one season-ending injury after another can be a serious mental and physical test for just about anyone.

Nicole Ryan, 23, is a 6th year senior basketball player at American University in Washington. She grew up in an athletic² family in Florida. And from the very first time she stepped onto the court as a four year old she knew basketball was going to be her one and only love. But with that love, came a lot of pain.

"After my freshman³ year in high school I broke my hand. The next year I tore my hamstring. The following year I tore my ACL [anterior⁴ cruciate ligament]. I came to American [University] -- I had two stress fractures in my shin my Freshman season... that summer I had a torn meniscus and another stress fracture so I had surgery and I was put in a boot. [During] my sophomore⁵ year I played I broke my wrist, came back strong ready to go for my senior season and tore my Achilles [tendon]," recalled Ryan.

While Ryan may be an unusual case, Orthopedic Surgeon David Higgins says season-ending injuries among women are more common than most people may realize.

"They've done a lot of studies in particularly knees that women are probably eight to ten times more likely to tear their ACL's, their anterior cruciate ligament, than men are. What has been the most prevalent problem with women having a greater incidence of ACL tears has really been their lack of training. But it's not because the women don't want to train. It's because the culture has not been there," noted⁶ surgeon Higgins.

Ivy⁷ Abiona plays basketball at George Washington University, also in Washington. She plays on a full scholarship, but has paid a price physically⁸. After two full years of rehabilitation⁹ to both knees, Ivy has remained true to a simple approach.

"Either way, it's going to hurt, so you might as well get through it," said Abiona. "I just kind of took that as my motto or theme through the whole rehab process. And just went with that and kept on going."

Abiona's coach Michael Bozeman has great admiration¹⁰ for her hard work.

"That young lady is the epitome¹¹ of hard work and sacrifice," said Bozeman.

Nicole's coach LaTonya Watson is full of admiration as well.

"It's a really tough road, Nicole unfortunately understands that tough road," noted Watson.

Both Nicole Ryan and Ivy Abiona now know their injuries have made them stronger.

"This process has been really difficult," said Ryan. "And I think that it has definitely made me who I am. I mean having something taken away that I loved so much. Its proved a lot to myself what kind of person I am and what I can overcome."

As positively¹² as these women have approached these injuries, the question remains¹³... could they have been prevented? And if so, how?

"[It] all has to do with two big things. The prime one is the strength training. And then also the skills that they are teaching women that they weren't doing quite as much 10-15 20 years ago," explained surgeon Higgins.

Whether or not Ryan and Abiona go on to play professional basketball, they are more prepared for whatever the future holds. For now, it's just one more year of healthy college basketball.
 

1 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

2 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

3 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

4 anterior   

adj.较早的；在前的

参考例句：

• We've already finished the work anterior to the schedule.我们已经提前完成了工作。
• The anterior part of a fish contains the head and gills.鱼的前部包括头和鳃。

5 sophomore   

n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的

参考例句：

• He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
• I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

9 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

10 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

11 epitome   

n.典型，梗概

参考例句：

• He is the epitome of goodness.他是善良的典范。
• This handbook is a neat epitome of everyday hygiene.这本手册概括了日常卫生的要点。

12 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。