S2E4 | Working With the Injured Athlete with Heidi Armstrong

Heidi Armstrong is here to talk to us about how she helps athletes overcome the mental fallout of a serious injury. Heidi found her way to the adaptive community after she suffered a competitive mountain biking injury. After the injury and many surgeries, she found herself angry, insufferable at times, and miserable with her new life. Luckily Heidi found herself surrounded by people who were willing to step in when she needed it most and urge her to get help. But when she decided to get help, she didn't even know where to start. Heidi built herself a care-team that helped her find creative outlets as a way to manage her pain and anger. Heidi's revolutionary turn-around to alternative therapy led to one of her therapists referring a fellow injured athlete to her for help, which then turned into several athletes. She then suffered another, severely debilitating injury and found herself talking to others who had also experienced these injuries. When she found she'd have to quit her job post-injury, she decided to explore other opportunities working with injured athletes. In this episode we're talking about:

• Heidi's research into suffering and injuries
• What the research taught her about helping injured athletes
• The commonalities between injured athletes that helped her develop her research
• How our words and actions affect healing
• and so much more!

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About Heidi Heidi Armstrong is one of a few experts in the world who helps athletes overcome the mental and emotional fallout of injury. Armstrong has more than 10 years’ experience recovering from her own injuries. Her deep research into the language and mindset of injured athletes sets her apart in her field. Armstrong, a former professional mountain bike racer and collegiate swimmer, is the founder of Injured Athlete’s Toolbox. The seven-year old company provides injury recovery coaching for athletes worldwide who need understanding, a plan, and accountability to transform their lives. In addition, Armstrong liaises between clients and their clinical team to ensure a full physical and emotional recovery. Armstrong coaches injured athletes to refocus their intensity from physical to mental training, thus stopping the emotional roller coaster. The body follows the mind, and positivity means faster healing. She works with injured athletes of all levels who want to:

• Feel empowered and resilient instead of frustrated and impatient
• Create a daily mental training plan to ease identity crises and negative self-talk
• Practice hope and positivity to speed physical healing
• Use neuroscientifically-proven tools to calm and relieve anxiety and depression
• Establish a care team, including specialists to properly address individual needs
• Make new, pragmatic injury-friendly goals, including physical exercise

Visit InjuredAthletesToolbox.com for more information.

Heidi can be reached at Heidi@InjuredAthletesToolbox.com or 512-431-3853