Outside of my work at the church I’m passionate about Krav Maga, a type of martial arts originally developed for elite Israeli Combat Forces. And, that’s exactly where my injury occurred – in a sparring match two years ago. I knew I had done something to my shoulder but thought I could rehab whatever I had done myself. But as time went on and I kept working harder, it wasn’t where I needed it to be. In fact, I was having trouble putting my suit and tie on for work every day. That’s when I decided I needed to get it looked at by a doctor. I went to CAO and saw Dr. Zooker, who after reviewing my MRI told me I had a tear in my rotator cuff and that he also saw some damage in my bicep. I’ll never forget that one, my bicep actually looked like shredded pork. Now I knew what was wrong, and it wasn’t something I could make any better through rehab or continued work in the gym.

I scheduled my surgery and then began mentally preparing myself for a great outcome. On the day I went in for my surgery, I remember having a really positive attitude and being focused on my comeback. The good news: everything went as planned. What’s amazing to me is that three days later, I pushed myself up out of my chair – trust me I was ready for the pain – and to my surprise, there was none. I know everyone recovers differently but, I was amazed that the three small incisions in my shoulders had produced this kind of result. Not to mention, one week later, I was able to ride the train to New York for business. When I went back in to see Dr. Zooker, he told me he wanted me to wait a year before I began sparring competitively again. He also said that it was okay to return to the gym and slowly get back into my training routine. So I did, and eventually got back to training five days a week, focused on gradually increasing the intensity of my workouts to avoid any setbacks. My shoulder feels great, and I have no limitations on its range of motion. For me, the combination of positive attitude, my faith and my team at CAO made this all possible. I’m 48 and ready to put my gloves on and get back to competing.