RamWire: Eddings Refused to Give Up His Chance
PR on the track was a long time in the making
Kyle Crooks
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Since taking his first steps on campus as a freshman, Ryan Eddings’ journey to making his Colorado State track debut was anything but easy.
As Eddings battled numerous injuries in his freshman and sophomore seasons, he has spent the majority of his time with CSU’s athletic trainers and completing rehab to get healthy again.
“I actually came into CSU with a torn ACL from high school, and then I tore it again my sophomore year,” Eddings said. “It’s very frustrating to keep getting injured, and paired with some other things, I thought it was best to take some time off before returning.”
When Eddings made his return to the team for his junior year, he was unfortunately faced with another injury which would hold him out from competing and push him back into rehab. The term ‘when it rains, it pours’ typically holds true -- and in this case -- few athletes would have decided to keep pushing.
Eddings had a different mindset.
“When you work really hard towards a goal, multiple setbacks like injuries can take a toll on someone,” CSU athletic trainer Anne Bradley said. “They can make you question if athletics are still something you should pursue, and Ryan's recovery required many solitary hours of cross training, rehab exercises and weight lifting.”
“It was very liberating. Everyone says that when you’re hurt you won’t come back the same and you’ll be slower. When I came back though, I ran a PR and it felt like I didn’t miss a beat.”Ryan Eddings, CSU track and field
Eddings had to dig deep to find his internal motivation to keep going and even harder, know when to back off and listen to his body. What’s remarkable about this Ram is that he doesn’t give up.
“It’s important that we communicate each day before training,” coach J.J. Riese said.
With ankle and knee injuries holding Eddings out from competition since high school, training to get back has required a different approach than coaching a sprinter who has been ready to compete.
Edding’s drive and passion to get back from his injuries was never an issue, but keeping him from over training was a fear that this staff made sure to avoid when helping him get healthy.
“He has a really high work ethic, and being out of the sport for four years has its own set of challenges,” coach Riese said. “It’s been my job to make sure he doesn’t over work himself, so each day we’ve been cautious about the work load we give him and make sure we’re always on the same page.”
Ultimately, Eddings has been able to overcome almost all of the hesitation and fear from his significant injuries and is able to confidently train for the upcoming competitions this spring.
“It was very liberating. Everyone says that when you’re hurt you won’t come back the same and you’ll be slower,” Eddings said. “When I came back though, I ran a PR and it felt like I didn’t miss a beat.”
The key Eddings credits his successful recovery is to breaking up the process into short-term goals without over training and losing sight of his main objective. After completing multiple rehab sessions and cross training exercises to get back on track, Eddings was able to make his CSU debut in the Air Force Holiday Open on Dec. 6, and ran the third fastest men’s 60 meter with a PR of 6.90.
“This is something he has hoped to do since high school, and the path has been anything but easy,” Bradley said. “At the Air Force Holiday Open a few weeks ago, I'll never forget watching him get settled in the starting blocks with that confident grin on his face. It was one of the most professionally rewarding moments to observe how thankful and excited he was to finally compete.”
Eddings goal has always been to put on the green jersey and compete for CSU, and he’s continuing to prove to be a role model for others. Next semester when the Rams return to campus, Eddings will be looking to stay healthy and compete with his team as they prepare to head to Boulder on Jan. 10 for the Potts Indoor Invitational.