Wienroither on finding inspiration in her recovery

Every home game, one of our women's first-team shares their insight into life at Arsenal in our matchday programme.

Beth and Viv are back – and that’s a huge inspiration to Laura Wienroither as she steps up her own recovery from a ruptured ACL.

Hi everyone – I know you might not have been expecting to hear from me quite so soon, but with so many players away and busy on international duty this felt like the perfect opportunity to give you an update on my progress, and how the return of Beth and Viv has given everyone – the players in the squad and those like me, Leah and Teyah who are also on our way back – a lift.

My first run on the grass after five months felt like a huge achievement. It’s a big step in a long-term injury. Before my ACL, I’d never really been injured before so I really didn’t know what to expect from the rehab process. It has been such a nice feeling to get moving again, be back in the fresh air and of course, train around the girls again rather than being stuck in the gym all the time.

The girls have been incredible through my rehab. Even during the hardest moments of this injury, I’ve never felt completely separate from them all. Our schedules have remained roughly the same and we all still eat breakfast together, but the biggest change has been that time away from the pitch.

The squad are always checking in, so before they head out to the pitches they pop into the gym and give us a hug. These are the little things I appreciate so much because it shows they haven’t forgotten us.

The unity in our squad was something we saw last season through all the ups and downs because everyone had to step up their responsibility and help each other out. It shows that the team has incredible character. We care for each other on and off the pitch and it’s probably what has made coping with this injury a little less difficult.

It was incredibly emotional watching Beth and Viv return to the pitch – for all of us. We know what they’ve been going through and we’ve also been a part of that rehab process, which makes it even more special to see them come back. They already look really good! Both Beth and Viv deserve to be back out there and get rewarded for more than ten months of hard work – it makes me so happy to see.

Now that Viv and Beth are back, it’s me, Leah and Teyah in the recovery room together. When you have someone to talk to who is going through the same thing as you, it makes those hardships a lot easier. For Leah and I especially, we’re pretty much at the exact same stage as each other. She has been incredible throughout the whole experience.

I really appreciate that because it’s definitely not a given when you go through something like this. It has been a journey with friends and family, people you care about and people who care about you, and sometimes it is good to reflect on what has probably been the toughest period of my career so far.

Leah and I both love to sing so the karaoke machine at London Colney is getting plenty of use. She knows I have the voice of an angel so if she needs to hear my beautiful voice, I’m willing to do it! My go-to song is Believe by Cher – I just love Cher.

It’s so important that we’re still able to have fun because the rest of the process can be so hard. We’re all in a position where we are really determined in our rehab and incredibly focused on what we’re doing, but we also appreciate and enjoy that time off. Those moments are really important to keep yourself in the right headspace, to be able to perform and get back on the pitch as soon as possible. I think we have a great balance in that respect.

Read the rest of Laura's blog, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying a copy of the Arsenal v Manchester City programme either around the stadium or online. 

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