This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/staying-healthy-is-aerialist-ashley-caldwells-toughest-trick/2016/02/25/818d006c-db3a-11e5-8210-f0bd8de915f6_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Staying healthy is aerialist Ashley Caldwell’s toughest trick Staying healthy is aerialist Ashley Caldwell’s toughest trick
(about 7 hours later)
Freestyle skier Ashley Caldwell is well-versed in both the highs and the lows of her perilous sport. She knows the sensation of twirling high above the mountain, and she’s just as familiar with the feeling of thudding hard on the ground, skis and dreams flying in every direction.Freestyle skier Ashley Caldwell is well-versed in both the highs and the lows of her perilous sport. She knows the sensation of twirling high above the mountain, and she’s just as familiar with the feeling of thudding hard on the ground, skis and dreams flying in every direction.
Still only 22 years old, the medical charts for the fearless aerialist cover most of the anatomy: knees, legs, elbows, neck. Her career has stretched from hospital beds to podiums, capped last week with Caldwell winning her first overall World Cup title. Still only 22 years old, the fearless aerialist has medical charts that cover most of her anatomy: knees, legs, elbows, neck. Her career has stretched from hospital beds to podiums, capped last week with Caldwell sealing her first overall World Cup title Feb. 20 in Minsk, Belarus.
“No one likes dealing with adversity. But the harder you fall, the better it feels when you get up,” said Caldwell, a two-time Olympian who’s originally from Loudoun County, Va. “It’s nice to know you’ve overcome something.”“No one likes dealing with adversity. But the harder you fall, the better it feels when you get up,” said Caldwell, a two-time Olympian who’s originally from Loudoun County, Va. “It’s nice to know you’ve overcome something.”
At any given competition, Caldwell is attempting jumps that most other competitors don’t dare try. A 10th-place finisher at both the Vancouver and Sochi Games, she’s one of a handful of women who can land a triple somersault, which propelled her to four World Cup podiums this season, including a pair of first-place finishes. But risky jumps also invite calamitous landings. Caldwell has had anterior cruciate ligaments repaired in both knees, missed two full years of training and was worried when she began this championship season on the wrong foot.At any given competition, Caldwell is attempting jumps that most other competitors don’t dare try. A 10th-place finisher at both the Vancouver and Sochi Games, she’s one of a handful of women who can land a triple somersault, which propelled her to four World Cup podiums this season, including a pair of first-place finishes. But risky jumps also invite calamitous landings. Caldwell has had anterior cruciate ligaments repaired in both knees, missed two full years of training and was worried when she began this championship season on the wrong foot.
[Aerials star previously excelled in Punt, Pass and Kick competitions][Aerials star previously excelled in Punt, Pass and Kick competitions]
As Caldwell began her summer training, she felt a tingling sensation in her hands. An MRI exam revealed a herniated disc pressing her spinal cord, and doctors’ opinions sounded scarier than any death-defying trick she attempts on the mountain. There was some talk of Caldwell having to quit the sport entirely and surgery seemed like a reasonable the soundest option. But surgery also would mean at least six months of rehabilitation, so Caldwell instead gambled that her body would heal on its own in time. For the rest of the summer, her workouts were limited to the gym. As Caldwell began her summer training, she felt a tingling sensation in her hands. An MRI exam revealed a herniated disc pressing her spinal cord, and doctors’ opinions sounded scarier than any death-defying trick she attempts on the mountain. There was some talk of Caldwell having to quit the sport entirely, and surgery seemed like the soundest option. But surgery also would mean at least six months of rehabilitation, so Caldwell instead gambled that her body would heal on its own in time. For the rest of the summer, her workouts were indoors only.
“I struggled,” she said. “It was a sad time for me. I battled being really sad and down on myself because I couldn’t train.”“I struggled,” she said. “It was a sad time for me. I battled being really sad and down on myself because I couldn’t train.”
A follow-up MRI three months later was promising, and Caldwell was cleared to ski again. Her confidence, comfort and outlook never wavered, she says. “If it weren’t for my knee surgeries, I wouldn’t be the same athlete I am today,” she said. “They provided good mental training for everything else I’ve faced.” A follow-up MRI three months later was promising, and Caldwell was cleared to ski again. Her confidence, comfort and outlook never wavered, she says. “If it weren’t for my knee surgeries, I wouldn’t be the same athlete I am today,” Caldwell said. “They provided good mental training for everything else I’ve faced.”
But a missed summer meant Caldwell was unable to add to her repertoire of tricks or fine-tune her existing jumps. When she was finally cleared to ski, difficult conversations with her coaches awaited. Should she focus her season on easier jumps? Was it worth attempting tricks that she didn’t have time to practice and perfect? Should she bail on triple somersaults and do exclusively doubles, like most competitors?But a missed summer meant Caldwell was unable to add to her repertoire of tricks or fine-tune her existing jumps. When she was finally cleared to ski, difficult conversations with her coaches awaited. Should she focus her season on easier jumps? Was it worth attempting tricks that she didn’t have time to practice and perfect? Should she bail on triple somersaults and do exclusively doubles, like most competitors?
“We wanted to make sure she was comfortable and she was feeling good,” said Todd Ossian, the U.S. aerials coach since 2010. “We tried to explain that if she needed to do doubles this winter, that’d be okay.”“We wanted to make sure she was comfortable and she was feeling good,” said Todd Ossian, the U.S. aerials coach since 2010. “We tried to explain that if she needed to do doubles this winter, that’d be okay.”
Caldwell was pretty resolute. Caldwell was resolute.
“If she had to do doubles all season, she probably would’ve killed me,” the coach added.“If she had to do doubles all season, she probably would’ve killed me,” the coach added.
Caldwell won the first event of the season in Beijing on Dec. 19, and topped the points standings the entire season, even shaking off yet another injury that nearly de-railed her midseason. In January, she was sidelined with a shin injury and couldn’t train for two weeks. She entered the Deer Valley (Utah) World Cup event cold and struggled to an 11th-place finish. But she bounced back and reached the podium one day later in the series’ next event at the same resort. Caldwell won the first event of the season in Beijing on Dec. 19 and topped the points standings the entire season, even shaking off yet another injury that nearly de-railed her midseason. In January, she was sidelined with a shin injury and couldn’t train for two weeks. She entered the Deer Valley (Utah) World Cup event cold and struggled to an 11th-place finish. But she bounced back and reached the podium one day later in the series’ next event at the same resort.
“That’s just the ups and downs,” she said. “My entire career I’ve dealt with adversity, so it was nothing new to feel little overtired, unprepared and nervous.” “That’s just the ups and downs,” Caldwell said. “My entire career I’ve dealt with adversity, so it was nothing new to feel a little overtired, unprepared and nervous.”
She landed in Belarus for last weekend’s season-ending competition knowing that the overall title was hers to lose. But Australia’s Danielle Scott trailed by just 64 points, which meant a slip-up by Caldwell would be devastating.She landed in Belarus for last weekend’s season-ending competition knowing that the overall title was hers to lose. But Australia’s Danielle Scott trailed by just 64 points, which meant a slip-up by Caldwell would be devastating.
“I was extremely stressed,” she said. “I try not to look too much at the numbers, but I had definitely calculated what it would take to pull it. I knew exactly what I needed.”“I was extremely stressed,” she said. “I try not to look too much at the numbers, but I had definitely calculated what it would take to pull it. I knew exactly what I needed.”
Because of her shin and venue conditions, her recent training between competitions had been limited. She was unable to even attempt her toughest jump — a triple somersault called a “full-full-full” — in the week leading into the final event in Minsk. Caldwell did well enough on her early jumps to earn a spot in the super finals. Because she stayed up the night before crunching the numbers, Caldwell knew her early jumps already locked up the overall title and she could perform her final jumps with a weight lifted. Because of her shin as well as venue conditions, her recent training between competitions had been limited. She was unable to even attempt her toughest jump — a triple somersault called a “full-full-full” — in the week leading up to the final event in Minsk. Yet Caldwell did well enough on her early jumps to earn a spot in the super finals, and because she had stayed up crunching the numbers the night before, she knew her early jumps had already locked up the overall title.
[Caldwell nails down World Cup title in Belarus][Caldwell nails down World Cup title in Belarus]
The season title secure, she still wanted to win the competition, which meant pulling out the full-full-full. Essentially, it’s a flip with a full twist, followed by another and then another. It had the highest degree of difficulty of any jump in the competition. Caldwell had added incentive: Her shin still wasn’t 100 percent and a clean landing meant less pain. A weight was thereby lifted, but not entirely, for Caldwell, who still wanted to win the competition — which meant pulling out the full-full-full. The trick is essentially a flip with a full twist, followed by another and then another. It had the highest degree of difficulty of any jump in the competition, and Caldwell’s shin had still not fully healed. She needed a clean landing to limit the pain.
She nailed the jump, posting the highest score she’d ever managed on a full-full-full. Her coach says overcoming the season’s rough patches and landing such a difficult jump will only give Caldwell momentum moving forward, particularly with the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics less than two years away. She got it, too, posting the highest score she’d ever managed on a full-full-full. Her coach, Ossian, says overcoming the season’s rough patches and landing such a difficult jump will only give Caldwell momentum moving forward, particularly with the 2018 Pyeong­chang Winter Olympics less than two years away.
She will try to win her third straight national title at the U.S. freestyle championships in Steamboat Springs, Colo., on March 18-20. And then after a break she’ll resume training in Park City. With a healthy summer ahead of her, she’s hoping to improve her technique on the jumps already in her arsenal, and to no one’s surprise, crank the difficulty notch even higher. She will try to win her third straight national title at the U.S. freestyle championships in Steamboat Springs, Colo., on March 18-20. And then, after a break, she’ll resume training in Park City. With a healthy summer ahead of her, she’s hoping to improve her technique on the jumps already in her arsenal — and, to no one’s surprise, crank up the difficulty notch even higher.
“We still have a lot to work on,” Ossian said. “And she knows that. . . . But it’s starting to get easier for her. Her jumps are getting better technically, more consistent and if we can keep her healthy and she can actually train, she could potentially become unbeatable.” “We still have a lot to work on,” Ossian said. “And she knows that. . . . But it’s starting to get easier for her. Her jumps are getting better technically, more consistent, and if we can keep her healthy and she can actually train, she could potentially become unbeatable.”