Women's World Cup star was left in wheelchair after horrendous injury
Australia star Hayley Raso has defied the odds and overcome a career-threatening injury to star for her country in the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Just five years ago, Raso faced the possibility of early retirement due to a severe back injury sustained while playing for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League. During a game against the Washington Spirit in August 2018, Raso suffered a devastating back injury after colliding with the opposing team's goalkeeper.
The impact resulted in three fractured vertebrae, leaving Raso in excruciating pain and raising concerns about her ability to ever play again. In an interview with ABC, Raso described the moment of the injury, admitting: "I couldn't do anything at that moment, I was just in so much pain, I couldn't move my body."
The road to recovery was long and challenging for Raso, reports the Express US. She spent approximately 10 days in hospital before being transferred to a rehabilitation centre, where she had to learn how to walk again.
The process was grueling, with the Real Madrid forward initially unable to even roll over in bed. She experienced episodes of passing out due to the pain and went into shock.
Women's World Cup hosts write to FIFA over controversial Visit Saudi sponsorship
However, with determination and support, Raso gradually regained her mobility. She started with a wheelchair, then progressed to using a walking frame, taking small steps to navigate around the hospital.
Raso said: “A neurosurgeon came in and spoke to me and said: 'You will recover from this, it's going to be hard, but you will play again.' In that moment I felt such relief because I had all these things in my head that I thought I was going to have to go through.”
After intensive rehabilitation, Raso made a remarkable comeback just six months after her injury. She returned to the field during the 2019 Cup of Nations and scored a goal within minutes of her comeback match against New Zealand.
Hayley Raso of Australia poses for a photo with her VISA Player of the Match award after the 4-0 win over Canada (Photo by Mackenzie Sweetnam)Raso's comeback story has continued to unfold at the Women's World Cup, where she has emerged as one of the standout players for Australia. With three goals to her name in the tournament already, Raso has played a crucial role in guiding Australia to the quarterfinals.
In addition to her international success, she has also made waves at the club level. Following her recovery, she joined Canberra United and Brisbane Roar on loan before making a move to the Women's Super League club Everton.
After an impressive two-year stint with Manchester City, Raso created history by becoming the first Australian and the first player from the Asian Confederation to play for Real Madrid's first team.
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Mirror.co.uk 's editorial research. A content editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected].
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
