For a sailor returning to the racecourse after physical therapy, even a calm day on the water is a victory.
This winter, getting to a point where I could pack my bags (and carry them!) to head on down to Miami for the Snipe Comodoro Rosco (sailboat) Regatta the first weekend in February felt like a gift. This is why:
I was pushing the weight sled at the gym late last fall when my shoulder moved oddly, and pain shot down my arm. I push myself hard in my gym sessions with my trainer, but we already had been babying my shoulder for a few weeks because it was acting grumpy and causing pain during some (but thankfully not all) movements.
“Maybe you should get an MRI,” he said quietly, as I stood up from the sled, shocked at the sensation that felt like maybe my shoulder had slipped out of its socket for a split second.
Yup, he was right. After a wacky few days of medical opportunities falling into place (my primary care actually had a cancellation slot the next day, so I got to see her for an MRI referral, and the MRI place had a 9 p.m. Friday availability; talk about a hot date night!), I learned that yes, I had a small tear in one of my rotator cuff muscles as well as a tear in my labrum. Nothing career-ending but definitely verifying that the pain I was feeling was real. And that I needed to do something about it.
Finding an appointment with an orthopedic/sports doctor was more challenging. But knowing I had two Snipe regattas on the calendar in just two months, I wasn’t willing to wait to start getting things right. I went back to the same physical therapy firm that had helped me with some hip issues that affected my running, and we started tackling my shoulder issues. Once I finally got to see an orthopedist a few weeks later, all they were able to do was to confirm the results of my MRI and suggest I go to PT! (With the caveat that if it didn’t get better, by all means come back to talk about surgery.)
With my eyes on the horizon, focusing on balancing my PT and gym sessions over the winter was my goal: gym sessions to keep everything that I could as strong as possible (essentially boiling down to no overhead exercises—fine for the Snipe!) and PT to first rebuild my shoulder flexibility and to strengthen key muscles to get the shoulder to sit properly. I usually did two PT sessions a week and daily at-home exercises.
I’m not going to lie; it was a long slog. I’m still working on it. But after about six weeks, I began to see glimmers of hope. I’d get on a weight machine at the gym and be frustrated that I couldn’t lift a certain amount—and I’d realize that the previous week I couldn’t even use that machine because it had hurt. I’d reach to grab something off a top shelf in my kitchen, and moments later, realize that I had done so without any pain. I was coming back.
Sailing winter regattas down south is always a treat, but when it also means reuniting with your sailing family, it’s extra special. Getting to a point where I could pack my bags (and carry them!) to head on down to Miami for the Snipe Comodoro Rosco Regatta the first weekend in February felt like a gift. The fact that the entire weekend was competed in only about five knots of breeze? Didn’t matter. That we were OCS in the first race in a no-throwouts-regatta? So what. That it was a weekend filled with smiles and friends from far-flung places, sharing the joy of being on the water together, laughing at old memories and creating new ones? Absolutely priceless and filled with gratitude.
The bottom line is that hurdles come our way. Taking a deep breath, analyzing the situation, and determining the way to get from here to there are the first steps. Continuing with dedication to follow the plan to get there is the long slog. And appreciating the achievement of getting there is sweet indeed.
I’m still being gentle with my shoulder in certain movements, but I’m ready to dive on into the 2025 sailing season. Doing so with gratitude makes it even sweeter: Huge thanks to my trainer, Rene Velado at Annapolis Athletic Club, who found terrific ways to have me keep pushing hard while working around my injury; my physician Dr. Jennifer Cuhran, who identified that this was indeed not just a sore shoulder and enabled me to get the MRI; and to Dr. Kristen Kohles, my rock star PT at Proformance Sports Rehab, whose knowledge and techniques have helped me get my shoulder back to close to being a normal shoulder again! I’m grateful to you all.
by Kim Couranz
About the Author: Kim Couranz has earned several national and world titles in Laser Radials (ILCA 6), Snipes, and Lightnings. She has also raced J/22s, J/24s, and Ynglings on an international level.
Find more sailboat racing articles.
