What does it mean to be injured? How do we know if we are injured? What are the signs, and are they always the same? How bad is the injury? How does it make you feel? Does it mean the end of the road for you and your sport? How long will it be before you can train as you did before? Will you ever be able to race again? Will you ever get back to where you were? Can we become better athletes after an injury?

These are all thoughts that swim around in peoples’ heads, sometimes on an endless loop throwing up feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration because, in many cases, when an injury happens a sort of panic can set in.....how did this happen? Everything was fine yesterday, but now I am in pain - why, what could have caused it? Without a proper understanding of causal factors, it is not uncommon for people to try to ignore it, or to avoid acknowledging it - this will go away, right? Of course, we know that it will not.

So, at what point should we act? What should we do and when? What do we need to know? Here is what Coach Tracy Cook would advise.