WORK HARD!
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Martha’ s Comeback- Cont. From P. 4
ment. It was probably the worst accident I’ ve ever had.
Josey was watching in the stands. When they held up the rodeo he thought it was the horse coming in and not me because he knew Red Man was safe.
At that time, the EMT’ s were passing a tube into my lung. I ended up with two cracks in my skull, seven broken ribs, broken right hip and another concussion. I only came to when I was in hospital. My first words when I came to in the hospital were“ Get me out of here- I’ m up in Baton Rouge!”
This happened in March at Austin and I still wanted to make the National Finals Rodeo. My mind was on“ Go, get ready”. My first comeback run was in July at Greely, Colorado and we made it to the short go.
To get ready for that there were exercises, therapy and I had to make myself go beyond the call.
I guess I haven’ t always done the wisest thing, but through all of these injuries and layoffs, I learned a lot about returning to competition. The keys are:
-You’ ve got to have the desire to do it. You’ ve got to want it bad enough. There are no“ cant’ s” It’ s mental. You’ ve got to see yourself coming back and not think about not getting it done.
-Come up with a plan for getting yourself back in shape. Realize that you’ re not who you were before physically. You’ re not as sharp as you were when you quit.
- Even in bed, exercise what you can. Usually stretching and squeezing the ball. When the doctor would come in, I wouldn’ t wait until he would ask me to move, I’ d say“ Look- I can do this!”
-Then the next step for me was walking. After I finally got out of the bed, instead of sitting and reading, I’ d think“ I’ m going to walk, walk to the barn, walk to see my horse, walk and look at my trailer”. It’ s about anything to do that gets your mind thinking there are things to do.
-Never talk about what is wrong- none of that“ I’ m sore and I’ m sick and what has gone on”. Do talk about what you’ re getting ready to do and what you have accomplished.
-My thought then was“ I’ ve got rodeos to get to”. You need to keep that sense of urgency, thinking,“ I want to heal now; I don’ t want to lay around and wait until I heal”.
-Your body needs all the help it can get – it’ s not a time to be eating twinkies and drinking cokes. You need the best nutrition of your life plus good vitamins and nutrients
-It’ s easy to gain weight during a layoff, so don’ t let this happen or you’ ll have more to accomplish to get back.
When you get to the point that you can get on your horse again, make sure you’ re going to be on a horse that can give you confidence. If you get on a horse that scares you you’ ll set yourself back more. If your main barrel horse has too much go and is intimidating, find a horse that will be comfortable – a roping horse – maybe your old horse- something you’ ve got confidence on. And do as much riding as you can possibly do in the arena and out. This will begin to make it comfortable again.
Broken bones will heal. Broken minds needs to heal too. If you’ re coming back and you’ re scared about falling off or getting hurt, you will have to gain strength and confidence. It’ s mental as well as physical. When you’ ve been riding a lot on the comfortable horse, start on your regular horse and every day go further, longer, faster. When you get comfortable on him, find that favorite rodeo you want to enter.
After my last accident I wanted to go to Greely, Colorado. It was a rodeo I like and I have great pictures from there.
When you’ re there and you’ re entered up – at the rodeo, see your rodeo friends and everyone is asking how you’ re doing after your terrible accident, just tell them,“ I am fine, I’ m back where I was.” Don’ t let yourself dwell on everything that went wrong.
You need a horse you’ ve got confidence in. I was fortunate in all the accidents I had that I had three different horses in three different periods I could get back on and send them. You need to know you’ ve got yourself mounted on a horse you can trust.
There are times in your life you have to realize that the horse you’ re riding is not giving you confidence. That means you are not a team. That’ s why it is always good to know how to identify the kind of horse that you like to ride.
The mistakes I see people make that prevent them from coming back are first, not having enough want-to. For some it’ s finding an excuse in case they fail and then getting caught up in that excuse.
Some don’ t get back into shape mentally and physically – because they didn’ t go back to the basics at first and build their confidence. Others don’ t have a goal. I’ ve always been very goal oriented. Setting goals is so important. Do more every day. Don’ t quit working at it if it doesn’ t happen the first time. Just keep going over those basics and work to get it right.
Your horse had a layoff too and it might take a few runs to get your timing together. Keep believing you can
Stay around positive people- people who help you remember“ You can,” not“ You can’ t!”
WORK HARD!
If you want to be a winner, you don’ t have to be the smartest or the most athletic or the most experienced. All those attributes are helpful and important but the one sure and simple route to success, regardless of your talents, is to work harder than everybody else.
Don’ t ever forget that a dream comes true for someone, somewhere every day. Realizing your dream comes from concentration and hard work. Do something every single day to bring you closer to your goals. At the end of the day, you are that much closer to your goals.
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For questions, e-mail Cheryl Cody at cheryl @ pro-management-inc. com
Coming in Next Issue:
• How to create your own Pre-Competition Ritual
• Martha Josey’ s Pre-Competition Ritual
• What’ s the Message in the Music?
• Steps to developing a winning mind set!
• Guest Column with Carol Rose And Much More!