What would an athlete do if they were faced with an injury so painful that they could not compete? Connor Callihan can answer that question for you, during a Mountain Athletic Conference Cross Country meet on Monday in Asheville, NC; the junior from TC Roberson High School finished his race with a broken leg.
Callihan was hampered with pain throughout the duration of the race, but he had little time to think about the ailments because he wanted to compete for his team. However, once he felt the snap in his right leg, the thoughts were running through his mind on whether or not to continue. After hearing the encouraging cheers from the fans, Callihan crawled across the finish line.
As soon as doctors came to aid Callihan, they placed him in an ambulance and escorted him to the hospital. The final verdict was that Callihan had broken his leg in three places. Hospital surgeons took matters into their own hands by inserting two rods into the leg to keep it stable. At this moment, Callihan is slowly recovering from the surgery and is doing well.
Callihan’s strong finish in feeble condition laid an impact on everybody who was in attendance. It also laid an impact on his coach, Andrew Devine. “The essence of who Connor is,” said Devine. “Things don’t come easily but he’s willing to push.”
Setbacks are a part of life. Some people can deal with those setbacks while others can’t. In the eyes of Connor Callihan, this setback will not sideline him permanently. “I’m gonna come back from this and be a better runner than ever before,” said Callahan.
Actions always speak louder than words and Connor Callihan has already made that claim. Right now, his confidence level is high and because of that confidence, he is determined to make good on his promise to come back and run like the wind.
For more information, go to: http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/tc-roberson-runner-finishes-broken-leg-18127.shtml
