Cara Larson: The Recovery

Cara Larson was jumping well at the Junior National Championships last February in Anchorage, Alaska. On one particular jump, she fell on the landing and suffered a torn ACL and Meniscus. “At first I was just mad, but I didn’t know what I was in for,” says Larson regarding the long recovery process. Although the injury occurred at the end of February, Larson didn’t receive surgery on the knee until April 17^th. 

Larson is optimistic while also unsure, “We are getting pretty close. Kind of. Sort of.” Such an injury can feel close somedays, then other days, not close enough. Her goal is to be back on the jump hill at some point in February. Now, just over eight months after surgery and a lot of hard work later, Larson’s knee is about 80% back to full health. “It’s looking now like the recovery will be about 9.5 months,” says Larson.

School has been very helpful through Larson’s recovery as it has allowed her to stay busy. She is currently focused on completing her senior year of high school in her hometown of Barrington, Illinois. In addition to school, she works out at the gym most mornings before school begins, attends physical therapy twice a week, and works at a local hair salon. Larson surely hasn’t struggled to stay busy. 

In the gym, she grinds through an exhausting regimen of sprints, one-legged jumps, lunge jumps, pilates, and core workouts. “I am focused on a lot of one-legged stuff to isolate the knee a bit so that I can stop putting so much weight on my good knee,” explains Larson. 

While she has stayed extremely patient throughout the process, a certain day sticks out in Larson’s mind. On this day she will strap into those skis again. The countless hours spent now will pay off, with just a few seconds of flight.