Overcoming Adversity: Eric Wilkerson
Photograph borrowed from acpathletics.com/wrestling/
In the winter athletic season of 2020-2021, our winter sports faced many obstacles that COVID set in place. With the winter season originally scheduled to begin in November of 2020, fall sports faced a delay in their season that created a domino effect that would delay other sports seasons by a few months. This year, our winter sports began in January. Our Knights wrestling team has seen its fair share of obstacles with its uncertainty of a season and the inconsistent flow of practices due to COVID surges throughout the state. With the season officially in motion, a specific Knight, Eric Wilkerson, found himself among a new set of obstacles. During a tryout, the 138lb class sophomore wrestler, tore his meniscus. With his sophomore season lost, we asked him a few questions about his situation.
Q: What was your biggest adversity overcoming your injury?
A: My biggest adversity was accepting the fact I couldn’t wrestle this year. Along with that was difficulty completing everyday tasks without pain, such as simply getting dressed because I have to lift my leg.
Q: How has your injury impacted your everyday life in and outside athletics?
A: Inside of athletics, my injury stops me from competing and working out my lower body. Outside of athletics, the biggest impact was my ability to get to and from school, considering I ride a bike. With my knee injury, I’ve had to resort to taking the city bus which is a change in my usual everyday schedule.
Q: What has been your process in your road to recovery?
A: My road to recovery is just like every other. I’ll be getting surgery on my knee in the near future to fix the ligament. Then I’ll go to physical therapy daily to strengthen it and be back and ready for the next season.
Although Eric will spend the remainder of his sophomore season sidelined by his injury, there is no doubt that he will be back and better than ever for the coming years. With his drastic improvement from his freshman to sophomore year and his ability to compete at the varsity level, we will be watching his career with great interest. Good luck Eric!
