Erin’s found the silver lining to ‘crushing’ injury

Erin Shaw has vowed to fight back and continue with her top-flight high jumping career after a freak training accident “crushed” her spine.

The 21-year-old, who represented Australia alongside Olympic medallists Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, was rushed to hospital when a routine weight training drill – a single leg squat – went horribly wrong and she required surgery on Christmas Day.

“I felt sorry for my family and the surgeon” said Shaw, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete, of a Christmas she and her family won’t forget.

“I failed the ‘rep’ while training. I went down and was crushed by the bar. [The weight] was 135 kilos and while it didn’t [directly] fall on me, I fell with the bar and it kind of crushed my spine.

“There was immediate pain. It felt as though I had really bad cramping all the way up and down my spine. It was painful, but my (NSWIS) Strength and Conditioning coach, Chris Brandner, was great.  He told me to stay still because he thought it was a spinal injury and to lie on my back and not move until the ambulance arrived.”

Shaw, who won the Oceania title in 2022, revealed she was terrified by the thoughts that raced through her mind while she waited for the paramedics to arrive.

“I was worried I’d be unable to walk,” she said. “My immediate thought was:  ‘am I going to be able to walk again? Am I going to be able to jump again?’ I think those things go through your head, especially in the moment, because you’re so stressed.”

Shaw underwent surgery to have pedicle screws implanted in her spine. While she won’t compete, at the earliest, until this December, Shaw draws upon one thought to push through her incessant rehabilitation sessions.

“The idea of being able to return to high jumping was . . . is  . . . my priority,” she said. “It may sound silly, but as an athlete that’s what you live and breathe to do. It’s at the forefront of my mind.

“The surgeon – Nathan Hartin -gave me two options: the conservative route of no surgery and wearing a brace, but the return to sport by doing that was less certain. Then there was  the riskier route of surgery, screws and the brace. I took that because my sports doctor [NSWIS Chief Medical Officer] Corey Cunningham recommended Dr Hartin, so I had faith in him.

“[Dr Hartin] said he couldn’t see why I wouldn’t be able to make a full recovery; I’m in the fortunate position that I’m an athlete, I’m young, and my body has a great opportunity to heal.

“While I’m the first high jumper to have this injury, there has been other athletes – AFL players, basketballers – who’ve made a full return in 12 months. I’m assuming I’ll be able to get a full return in that 12 month period, but it will just depend on how my rehab goes.

“And I know each body is different and heals differently. I’m quite a tall athlete, so building up those muscles to protect my spine may take longer . . . but I have every faith my [NSWIS] physio Rob Mullard and the surgeon will get me back there.”

While Shaw is thankful to now be pain free, she described the first 10 weeks of her recovery, in which she was required to wear an especially moulded fibreglass cast that ran from her shoulder to hips and encased her entire torso, as torture.

“You tighten it like a corset with velcro, and it was on all the time unless I was sleeping,” she said. “It keeps your back straight and stiff and gives it time to heal around the screws properly. It also prevents any movement by the screws, keeping them in the right spot.

“I was 10 weeks in that brace – which is a long time, especially in summer. It was uncomfortable . . . a big plastic thing you’re wearing all the time.  If you’re sitting down it’s digging into you; stand up and it’s digging in.

“Knowing it was only going to be 10 weeks; knowing it was going to help heal my back properly and allow me to jump was what got me through. But it was a very long time, and my friends and family definitely knew about it [laughs].

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s hard. Terrible. It’s every athlete’s nightmare. But, I do believe in the long run it will help me as an athlete. I’ll come back stronger, and I have extra hunger for it.”

While Shaw is back in the NSWIS gym following a strict training program, the University of New England student, who is studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science online, said besides giving her insights into dealing with frustration, the injury had also allowed her to appreciate other aspects of life.

“It has been a big learning curve,” she said.  “I’ve also learned I’m blessed to have a loving  family and so many amazing friends around me that aren’t my friends just because I’m an athlete. They’re true friends, helping me get through this.”

Shaw is also appreciative of the support NSWIS is providing through Dr Cunningham, her S&C coach Chris Brandner, physio Rob Mullard and Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement’s advisor, Cara Dobinson.

“NSWIS has been 100 percent supportive . . . they’ve been amazing,” she said. “They’re checking in on me, not just as an athlete but as a person. Also, all of the facilities at NSWIS have been made available to me, which is great.”

The Australian representative – who finished fourth at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia after clearing 1.88m – said the injury had galvanised the desire to fulfil her potential.

“It was definitely a scare, and it put into perspective how much I do want it,” Shaw said. “A few people asked whether I’d thought of walking away because it is such a big injury, but that’s never crossed my mind.

“I take a lot from the fact my thinking is, ‘I really want this and will do whatever it takes to get it.’ That’s given me extra hunger to reach my goals because I know they were almost taken away from me.

“I guess that’s the silver lining.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS

Rachel Tingey, NSWIS (main photo)