Alise Post: “I had a terrible, freak accident”

In what was sure to be one of the most contentious battles of the 2010 ABA Grands weekend, fate dealt a punishing blow to Alise Post late Monday afternoon. BMX NEWS brought early details of Alise’s season-ending injury just before lights out Monday night. Still, it was Alise’s idea to address her fans directly by writing the following “In Her Own Words” article on the accident.

We are grateful to hear that Alise was not more seriously hurt, and that prospects are overwhelmingly positive for a full recovery and return to the big hill in 2011.

“A terrible, freak accident.”
By Alise Post, November 22, 2010

After a great season, and a 40-point lead heading into the 2010 ABA Grand National, I had a terrible, freak accident today.

Sam, Wade (Bootes), and myself went over to the Chula Vista ABA track for a little 20-30 minute play session on our bikes, just to have a quick “touch up” and make sure we were feeling good for the race.

Toward the end of the session, I took a slow run at the first double on the second straight to try and get a pull-manual I had been working on. I wanted to make it so bad that I yanked up on my handlebars wayyyy too hard, and almost looped out. To try and save it, I unclipped my right foot and put it down thinking I was going slow enough to run out of it. Unfortunately, I planted my foot just the wrong way (due to many ankle sprains/rolls in both gymnastics and track and field, the ligaments in my ankles are already fairly overstretched and will roll easily, but usually without any consequences).

My weak ankles didn’t help me out in this situation, because when my ankle rolled outwards, the doctors say, my ligaments stretched a little too far and ended up tearing, leaving my fibula bone no support and allowing it to break. There is no official confirmation that any of the ligaments are torn, and I will be getting an MRI shortly to confirm this likely outcome.

X-Rays, however, have confirmed a clear fracture across my entire right Fibula (the smaller outside bone in your lower leg) just above the frequent “high ankle sprains” you hear about in professional hockey, football, etc. I am not in a full cast yet as the swelling is pretty out of hand, and it is likely I will need surgery next week at home in Minnesota if the MRI confirms torn ligaments.

Surgery could entail placement of screws and a plate to hold the Fibula and Tibia bones together (which will later be removed), some ligament repairs, and up to a 3-month, no-weight-bearing recovery, followed by few months of intense rehabilitation. However, this is worst case scenario, so I can only hope things turn out better than they look now, and my youth, health, fitness, support, OTC rehab, and mental toughness get me through a speedy recovery and back to BMX stronger than ever!

Needless to say I will not be racing the Grands this year. I may make an appearance, but I will need to be extremely careful. Doctors warned me that if my leg is bumped at this point, the bone will likely displace further and the injury could become worse. But hey, I gotta support my buddies!

They say that “you’re only one crash away from the end of your career” in BMX. So I guess for Thanksgiving, I will be thankful that I have an injury I can come back from and lots of support from my friends and family. Little did I know that on one of my last runs, 25 minutes into the session, and my last 5 minutes of training before I took off to Tulsa, I would take a wimpy little, slow-paced crash that would end my hopes of winning the ABA National #1 title. It’s crazy…a year’s worth of work and “BAM!,” gone in the blink of an eye.

But, there’s no reason to dwell on this incident. The reason I wrote this update is for everyone to know the full story, so we can all move past this accident and look forward to the bigger and better things that lie in my future.

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward.”
Denis Waitley, best-selling author and motivational speaker

Thanks for the support everyone, and happy holidays!
—Alise Post
Redline #11

Our thanks to Alise for telling her story here on News. We will be keeping you “Posted” on new developments as they unfold, and Alise says she will also be writing about her recovery on her GO211 blog in the coming weeks and months.

Broken Hearts Over Alise’s Broken Leg

At 10:35PM EST this evening, Vintage carried a thread with a rumor that Alise Post broke her leg (“Confirm or Deny,” it said). It seemed like a classic hoax, or maybe just some mistaken intel (no aspersions cast upon “mannequinforce,” the thread creator…but we all get wild rumors that later turn out to be stinkers).

News traded text messages with Alise, and it is with great sadness that we report the rumor is, in fact, true.

Alise was out this afternoon riding the Amateur track at Chula Vista with Sam Willoughby and Wade Bootes, at a recreational pace, when things went wrong over the double coming out of turn one. She hung her toe on the backside of the jump, and the resulting landing broke her right Fibula. In a tragic irony, it was the last lap of the session and they were headed off the track–somewhat of a freak accident.

Alise says that doctors characterize the injury as also possibly involving torn ankle ligaments (an MRI tomorrow will tell for sure) and surgery is likely next week. Recovery time on injuries of this nature is typically 3-6 months depending on the severity, according to BMXNEWS sources.

Going into this week’s ABA Grand National, Alise holds a 40-point lead on the ABA National Number One Pro Women’s title over long-time rival Dominique Daniels.

Alise will be writing an “In Her Own Words” piece for News, which we will post tomorrow. But before the rumor mill spun too far out of control, Alise gave us permission to bring you some early facts on this heartbreaking development.

All of us here at NEWS wish Alise a quick and more-than-full recovery in 2011.

Stay tuned to BMXNEWS.COM for Alise’s story.

Team USA Women Train with US Navy SEALs

Last month, Alise Post’s Facebook profile had a photo album from the Fréjus trip showing her, Amanda Geving, Arielle Martin and Brooke Crain having some pre-race fun on an obstacle course in the French countryside. On one of the photos, we wrote “I can see the headline now: ‘Elite BMX Women the first females accepted in to Légion étrangère’ (the French Foreign Legion).”

Naturally, we were kidding. But when we got word this week that three of them took in a day of training with the US Navy SEALs…well, who knows what may lie ahead. Like the movie “GI Jane,” Oakley gear and all.

In all seriousness, there is no doubt that graduates of the SEALs 24-week “BUD/S” (for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) school are among the most capable and respected operators in the history of warfare.

In BMX Racing, we have a deep respect for our top-hand athletes, who live, eat and breathe their craft. When they are not on an airplane to the next “job site,” they are training relentlessly to get ready for the gig. Brooke, Arielle and Alise took that training to a new level this week when they (along with the USA Velodrome team) joined the SEALs at their base in Coronado, CA (near the US Olympic Training Center/ Chula Vista). The fact that these three BMXers could keep up with the elite SEAL recruits for a full day of training shows the level of physical and mental conditioning involved in BMX Racing at the highest level.

News asked Arielle, Brooke and Alise to write a few paragraphs on their experience. We are very proud to bring you their story.

By Arielle Verhaaren
I first heard about “Navy SEAL Training” back in ’08 when the USA Track and Field team went through it. Rumors started flying around the OTC about how brutal it was, how many people dropped out, and how sore they all were when it was over. Even back then, I immediately started asking how I could get in on this gig. As a military wife, with a husband serving in Special Operations, I have a great deal of respect for the Special Forces. It is universally-agreed among all military branches that the Navy SEALs “BUD/S” course is the toughest, roughest and most revered training a soldier can receive. Of course I wanted in!  Two years later, our Sports Psych had it arranged and Alise, Brooke, and myself were off to Coronado to throw down the gauntlet, along side USA Velodrome.
 
I’ll let them tell you how tough it was, how teamwork took us to the top, and how much sand we are still finding in places it doesn’t belong. I have never done anything so physically demanding in my life. Being so far out of the familiar BMX training element forced us to dig deeper than we thought possible–just to survive. I’ve never hated running and push ups more than I did that day. It’s amazing what the human body is capable of, and how much farther it can be pushed once you find that state of mind and turn it on. My body was absolutely trashed when we finished (still is actually) but i’ve been on a mental high ever since. It was a very special experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I have been humbled as an athlete, a wife, and an American.

–Arielle Verhaaren

By Brooke Crain
When the OTC Sports Psychologist invited me to do a day of training with the US Navy SEALs, my first thought was “I’m going to die out there.” But of course I wanted to do it.

We started out with a warmup run–up, then down the sand hills on the base. After that, I was already feeling tired. As everyone in the BMX world knows, we are sprinters not long distance…anything. The SEALs training was, by far, the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

Being the youngest one in the training, I was chosen to be the leader. I was not very thrilled about this because I don’t like yelling at people– especially people I don’t know. Being the leader, I would call out “down” and “ready,” in the drills. Toward the end, when I had to call the push ups, we were all in the “up” position for what seemed like hours. My arms were burning I just wanted to quit. Tears were rolling down my face, but I pushed through it.

Two days later, I am still sore all over my body. Training with the SEALs will make me think differently in life. These guys are incredible, and how they do what they do every day is amazing. I learned how much the body can take, even when you think it can’t handle anymore. I learned that there is a “switch” in your head that tells you that you’re tired, but if you can learn to turn that switch off and keep going you can do so much more than you ever thought possible. I had to dig down deep for this training and I’m very proud of what my teammates and I accomplished.

I learned a lot about my teammates, Alise and Arielle, that day. We have become a lot closer just by going through that pain together. We worked as a true team for the first time, and we were there for each other–rather then it always being a competition between us.  It was an amazing experience, that I will never forget. Training with the Navy Seals made me so thankful for all of those who serve our country and how much hard work they put in just so we can all be free. Those men and women are amazing and I couldn’t thank them enough.

—-Brooke Crain
 
By Alise Post

“Hey ladies, what do you think about training with the Navy SEALs for a day?”

“Oh heck yeah! The track and field people did that and said it was so hard a lot of people had to ‘tap out.’ I wanna see if I’ve got what it takes!”

When I accepted this offer from USOC Sports Psych Wendy Borlabi, it was definitely my competitive side speaking. After hearing about the difficulty of the training, of course I wanted to test my abilities (because that’s what athletes do…they compete–in EVERYTHING!). And honestly, I also wanted to prove to myself that I am just as tough as the big crazy meatheads who yell all the time just to put fear in people; that’s the kind of people I thought Navy SEALs were. However I learned a lot about the approach and reasoning behind their training, and actually gained a lot of respect for what they do, and the kind of person it takes to become a SEAL.

I won’t lie that I went into this pretty nervous, but was still confident that with my history in sport, and Arielle and Brooke right there with me, I would be able to push through just fine. My confidence however, was tested immediately when we got to the base in Coronado and started with a “light” run up and down a giant sand berm over to the classroom. Every one of us was already panting pretty heavily at this point, and sadly I questioned if I would actually be able to make it through the whole day in those first 10 minutes.

When we got into the classroom though, my emotions took another turn. I was completely inspired by their stories, and explanation to why they were so hard on their soldiers, because in all actuality it related a lot to the mentality of sport. They physically break their soldiers down to the point that their bodies can no longer function without using mental toughness. They force them to use the power of the mind, while under pressure, so they can prove they have what it takes under any circumstances to perform their tasks. As if that doesn’t sound familiar enough to an athlete’s mentality, they talked about some of the techniques they use to get through tough times: goal setting, visualization, motivational self-talk, and breathing. It was great to hear these things, then directly apply them to a situation completely out of my comfort zone and see how well I was able to cope.

We started with the giant obstacle course (O-course), which I found myself to get through without too much of a struggle. Having gained some confidence back, I had high hopes for the rest of the day. Then, when we moved into running over sand berms, carrying logs and boats, and being covered from head to toe in 10lbs water weight and 10 lbs sand (that was blinding you with no way to rub it off), all while being timed and with limited hydration, my emotions took yet another turn. It took a ton of mental toughness, not only to get through MY day…but also to support my teammates and help them get through theirs, as they were helping me. Brooke, Arielle, and I suffered a lot of pain together that day, and I believe we created a bond through that which will only help us work together to become the best we can be down the road.

I thank the Navy SEALs for the emotional roller coaster ride of a lifetime and teaching me a lot about my teammates, and myself. I gained a lot of respect for what they, and all military, do day in and day out. I will carry the values they taught me throughout my BMX career and everyday life.

Oh, and I guess I’d also like to thank them for making me the sorest I’ve ever been as well =)

–Alise Post
Redline #1

Photos courtesy of Daniel Walker, via Facebook

Amped Up After Twin Wins, Alise Jets to Twin Cities for First-Annual MS Race

Alise Post had a pretty busy Memorial Day Weekend. Starting in her adoptive home of San Diego, she flew to Albequerque on Friday for the ABA Spring Nationals, captured two impressive Elite wins at Duke City BMX…then beat feet to ABQ airport after the Sunday Main, in order to grab a big bird to MSP, then the 80 mile roll to her home town of St. Cloud. Missed flights or leisurely strolls through the terminal were not an option, as the Redline star had an army of old friends waiting to greet her at a special race the following day. The First Annual “Race for the Cure” was organized by a core group of volunteers at Pineview Park BMX, Alise’s parents, Mark and Cheryl Post chief among them. The race would benefit the MS Society in hopes for an eventual cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

Alise has taken up this cause because it has affected someone very dear to her, namely Colleen Stark-Haws a gymnastics coach who was very influential in her gymnastics career and, as Cheryl Post told BMXNEWS, “helped Alise become the person she is today.”

BMXNEWS asked Alise to write a recap of the day, in her own words. We know all of you would much rather hear from her, than from us

Alise Post’s 1st Annual MS Race For The Cure was a SUCCESS!!!

By Alise Post

After collecting numerous donations and prizes, and accomplishing two big wins in Albequerque, NM, it was great to go back home to Minnesota on a high note to set the tone for yet another great success the next day…The MS Race For The Cure.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the support given to my first charity race that took place at my local track, Pineview Park BMX this past Memorial Day in St. Cloud, MN. It was an extremely successful event with over 200 riders attending the local, single points race. In the end, we raised almost $5,000 dollars to donate to the MS Society. Going into the event, we all agreed that if we raised even $1,000 we would consider the event a success. To turn around and earn five-times that amount was unbelievable, and I cannot find words to describe how thankful I am for all of the support in helping me give back.

Lemonade stands, corporate sponsors, individual donations, a huge raffle, and an amazing group of volunteers at Pineview Park BMX made this event possible. The raffle was the centerpiece of our fundraising efforts, which included some signed Redline jerseys I donated to the cause, as well as prizes and BMX memorabilia from all of my sponsors, local businesses, 2008 Olympians, and 2012 Olympic hopefuls. Thanks to the following for making this more successful than I had ever hoped:

Redline Bicycles, JBL/Harman, go211.com, Tangent Products, Oakley, Fly Racing, Lizard Skins, Rehbeins BMX, Mike’s Bikes of MN, Bernicks Pepsi, Cash Wise, Great Clips, Noodles & Co, Applebees, Erick’s Bike Shop, Monster, Swatch Watch, Anderson Trucking,

Pro BMX Memorabilia from:
Sam Willoughby, Maris Strombergs, Donny Robinson,Jason Carnes, Denzel Stein, Masa Sampei, Kyle Bennett, Nic Long, Corben Sharrah, Tyler Brown, Khalen Young, David Herman, Jared Graves, Randy Stumpfhauser

A little background: Joel and Colleen Stark-Haws were two of my gymnastics coaches at Tech High School. They helped my team to 4 consecutive 2nd Place Team finishes, and coached me to 3 consecutive Individual State titles as well.

Not only did they play a role in my gymnastics life, they soon brought their son Eli out to Pineview Park, and became avid racers and dedicated volunteers for many years. They mainly ran concessions, but also positively mentored many new racers just as they had mentored me.

Colleen and Joel continue to lead by example and naturally command respect by the way they live. They walk the walk, expecting you to rise to every challenge before you. Needless to say, they always inspire and challenge you to be the best you can be, not only as an athlete, but more importantly as a person. Less than 100% effort is never an option, and their standards are extremely high.

Colleen never complains about her difficult fight with MS, but she expects you to give your best, without complaint, in return. As EVERYONE who has ever met her and her family would say, “They are genuinely amazing and inspiring people”.
When introducing their story at the event, we were all overcome by emotion. My mom or dad could not make it through more than one line before losing it, and I was fighting back tears throughout my whole speech. These people have been like second parents to me, and with Colleen suffering a very progressive form of MS, the sooner we can find a cure, the better.

Colleen informed me that once a cure is found for MS, a whole slew of neurological diseases would also be cured. In the coming years, I hope to help all of those fighting these terrible diseases, so they do not have to suffer what Colleen did: going from walking and choreographing gymnastics routines, to sitting in a wheelchair, within the span of one year.

This event’s success encouraged me to make this an annual event, so everyone can look to participate in the Second Annual MS Race For The Cure, in 2011. Hopefully, we can blow this year’s total out of the water, and aid in finding a cure for MS and many other neurological diseases!

Thank you to all.

Sincerely,
Alise Post

Some Photos from the first-annual MS Race For The Cure

A big BMXNEWS congratulations to Alise and the rest of the event organizers for a job well done. Also, thanks to Alise for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this recap for us! We look forward to hearing more about the 2011 event!

Announcers Tower Podcast: Alise Post

A megaforce in the Elite Women class this year, both on and off our shores, Alise Post is gearing up for the long haul to the top of the Olympic podium in London 2012. The ink on her change of address form is not yet dry—having just moved in to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista— and she is going full-immersion into the 24×7 commitment required to make her dream a reality. In this 15-minute “Announcers Tower” segment, the smile-in-her-voice Redline factory star talks about school, her 10-year plan, her man, Sam, how the “Dom/Alise Rivalry” is real, but not quite in the way people think, and more.

Listen to the segment using the controls below:

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