Alexi Zastrow

 My name is Alexi Zastrow, and I am a senior on the Women's Soccer Team at Olivet Nazarene University. I was hoping to make an impact on the field right away at ONU, but God had different plans in mind for me. I went on a mission trip to Kenya with the team and even got to start against the Kenyan National team, but when I got back to the US, the doctors diagnosed me with pneumonia and told me that I could not exercise for two weeks which would mean that I was going to miss part of preseason. I was so excited to finally move into campus and start exercising again, but we are expected to run two miles under 14 minutes to earn our jersey. I trained too much and ended up with a stress reaction in my tibia. I was a redshirt my freshman year. It was hard watching my teammates make great memories without me. Part of my identity felt like it had been stripped away. I was ready to make a comeback my sophomore year until I noticed a pain in my hip. I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my femoral neck and a torn labrum in my right hip. Spring season of my sophomore year was especially hard because I was a team captain. I was meant to be a pillar of strength and lead the team, but instead, I was on crutches. I was cleared to play two days before my junior season and was finally able to get onto the field. I had high hopes for senior season. At a preseason captain’s meeting, my coach asked me how I felt going into the season, and I replied that I was really excited since this was the longest stretch I had gone in my college career without an injury. Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived because I tore my ACL and lateral meniscus on the second day of preseason. Instead of dwelling on the past and asking why me, I have resolved to learn from these experiences. I have learned to listen better, be more patient, find new roles and passions, and to never take playing for granted. I take joy in the little achievements and milestones like running my first sub eight minute mile since surgery. Overall, I have learned that my identity is in Christ–not in my achievements on the field. I’m hoping to make one last comeback and compete during my fifth year.