Athlete Spotlight: Erin ‘Red’ Grayson
By: Kay Rivera
Let’s face it, as much as we can stay in top shape, we are not indestructible. Injuries happen. It can occur while training, but it often happens in our day to day activities like a simple misplacement of your foot leading to a fall.
That said, after experiencing an injury, all anyone wants is to get back in their regular activities. That’s all Erin “Red” Grayson wanted after breaking her foot in early December of 2020. After a few months of healing and physical therapy, she’s made an impressive return to Tone House, utilizing Strength sessions to assist in her recovery. She shares her story below:
What did your training routine look like prior to your injury?
- Muay Thai 1x/week, boxing 1x/week, Tone House 2x/week, yoga 2x/week, plus 15mi roadwork and 1-2 hour long-duration cardio.
Did you participate in STRENGTH sessions prior to your injury?
- Yes! This [injury] was a couple months after outdoor sessions had ended for the season, and just before Conditioning returned to the Turf. So I was doing at least two Strength sessions at Tone House per week.
How has your recovery been out of the House?
- My physical therapist is a Ladykiller, which has made my recovery and return to the House a much more comprehensive experience. Kerry [Ojeda, DPT] understands what I’m about to get back into, and where my body needs to be to execute that. So we have been implementing progressive plyo exercises and an impact training program along with other healing modalities like ART (Active Release Therapy) and dry needling. The process has been slower than I wanted it to be – at least mentally – but I’m really happy with the progress and it feels great to be back on the Turf with some confidence.
What was recommended once you were given the green light to return to training?
- There are still some things I can’t do – push heavy sleds, jump off of boxes – and my foot isn’t yet ready for Conditioning, but with Kerry’s help I’ve been able to tackle the Strength programs with enthusiasm. It feels incredible to be back.
What is a way you listen to your body as you are training to ensure continued healing of your injury?
- I definitely have a heightened awareness of my body and my injury while working out, especially when working with heavy weight at Tone House. I appreciate the perspective though; I’m hyper focused on form, and using the right muscles to do what I’m doing. It’s a good time to get my body into good habits moving forward. I know to stop if my body is giving me any signals, but so far that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been diligent about recovery, therapy, and pacing myself so that I can come back even better, and so far I feel fantastic. I’m able to progress a bit each workout, and it’s keeping me motivated. My goal here is to be active for the rest of my life. If that’s the case, I gotta do this the right way.
What does the timeline look like now with your injury and returning to your regular training?
- My first conditioning class will be 05/13 – and I’m bringing Kerry with me! After that, starting around the 20th of May, I should be back into the full swing of things. That makes five months since my injury, and my body is thankful I paced myself.
“Being back under those red lights with my teammates (now friends) hollering at me, and the coaches pushing me further than I wanna go… there’s a reason I fell in love in the first place! Nothing like it.”
How did you feel once you returned to the House?
- I anticipated some struggle, and there was some struggle! But being back under those red lights with my teammates (now friends) hollering at me, and the coaches pushing me further than I wanna go… there’s a reason I fell in love in the first place! Nothing like it.