Overcoming Obstacles
Bobbie Knight loves to push her limits by competing in challenging obstacle course races. That all changed though, when she tore her meniscus in 2019. Following a series of knee injections, she had a partial meniscectomy in December of 2020. Post-surgery, she was eager to return to her training and running so she could participate in 2021 races…
“5 months later, I was cleared to go back to running and started slowly building up my miles. I did what many people in fitness always do: I ran past the point I should have and my knee blew up on me. To say the least, I was not happy about it. I had heard about Cioffredi’s though and thought I’d give it a try if they could fit me in. I started working with Neil MacKenzie, PT and, from the start, he really paid attention. He showed me how I could adjust my exercises and form to build the muscle and avoid pain. He helped me slow down, get my form right, and not rush it. I started slowly making progress again and getting back to it.“
Now, one year after her surgery, Bobbie is back to the obstacle course, working on building up her speed, and most recently in December completed the Spartan Trifecta in Florida.
“I’m hopeful and looking forward to keep getting stronger and stronger. After being injured, I appreciate my mobility highly. I have all the workouts and exercises Neil had me doing written out on the dry erase board in my home gym and I make sure I keep up with those. And if I need a little maintenance or anything blows up, I know I can call him! I feel that everybody, before they go through any kind of cortisone shots in the knees or other joints, should come to Physical Therapy. I spent two years going for knee shots, but I wish I had known and done it in reverse. If I would have had gone to PT first, I suspect I may never have torn my meniscus and it may have saved me from surgery and sitting on the sidelines.”
Going into 2022, Bobbie has races lined up through the year. Among them, she plans to travel to Philadelphia in May to compete in the grueling “Toughest Mudder” with friends and will race to complete as many laps of the five-mile obstacle course as possible in 12 hours overnight. Despite the towering challenges on the horizon, or perhaps because of them, Bobbie is excited to tackle it head-on.
“They are fun…sort of! Seriously, I believe it’s as tough mentally as it is physically to keep going. It takes a special kind of crazy to be out there!”
