From achilles rupture to Olympic glory in 7 months - John Jackson Team GB Bobsleigh

In our latest episode all about knee injuries, we are delighted to be joined once again by top sports physio Adam Stokes who has over a decade of experience at the forefront of care and treatment in elite, professional football clubs. Prof Mackay and Adam have worked together in the past when injured players have needed surgery and rehab.  Adam also has a huge interest in injury data analysis and a specialization in ACL injuries and rehabilitation. So who better to talk to about this subject, huge as it is - we try and break it down with Adam, looking at everything from the most common to more severe knee injuries.

And as serious as knee injuries can be it's not all doom and gloom as Adam also equips us with insights on recognising the severity of a knee injury and offers practical advice on injury prevention strategies. So whether you're a seasoned athlete or a weekend warrior, understanding how to safeguard your knees is crucial for longevity and Adam offers tons of info.

And for those unfortunate moments when injury strikes, he shares his top tips on immediate treatment and understanding when to seek professional help.  And we also clear up common misconceptions about knee injuries and terminology - covering everything from the meniscus to medial ligament problems!

So, join us, Jennifer Reoch and Prof Mackay, as we take a deep dive into the world of knee injuries with Adam Stokes.

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Commonwealth medal-winning badminton player Susan Egelstaff had her sights firmly set on the London 2012 Olympics when disaster struck. Sitting in the GB No. 1 spot everything was on course to qualify when she suffered a terrible knee injury. In this brilliant episode, she talks candidly about what it was like after 14 years of training to get to this point only to face having your dreams swept away. You don't have to be a badminton player to emphasise with Susan's story, it will resonate with any athlete who has faced or is facing a similar situation.  

Top-level badminton is a  high-energy sport requiring a ton of pivoting and jumping, Susan's injury caused her thigh and shin bones to 'smash' together. Prof Mackay who performed her surgery explains more about this unusual injury and why he felt it happened.  Recounting that time now you can still hear the emotion Susan felt on hearing her diagnosis and the prospect of a long recovery.

Sportspeople in any field will be fascinated to hear Susan talk openly about how she hated her slow, arduous rehabilitation process and how lonely it was. But she also talks about how much she was helped by talking to a sports psychologist who played a pivotal role in maintaining her mental health and positivity throughout. She has some great tips about coping with both sides of recovery. 

This is a fascinating, deep dive with a funny, engaging guest looking not only at what it takes to get to the highest level in sport but also at what can happen when serious injury strikes. More importantly though, it is a tale of snatching a hard-won victory from the jaws of defeat.

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In our latest episode, we have the privilege of chatting with a young cross-country mountain bike champion who has the world at his wheels! Just 22, Charlie Aldridge first rode to victory in 2019 becoming Junior World Champion, and three years later claimed the prestigious title of British National Champion. 

But his recent achievement is his biggest win to date - becoming the 2023, U23 World Champion - a victory made even sweeter as it was won on home turf in Scotland. Of course, it's such a high-octane sport he has already faced some injury hurdles along the way, sometimes battling more than just his competitors!

So far he has batted off a serious posterior shoulder dislocation, a broken collarbone, and a  savage cut to a knee that would have had most of us calling for help - not Charlie he just cycled home! We talk to him about these injuries and his treatments and it's fascinating to hear his take on tackling recovery.

Prof Mack met Charlie when his shoulder insisted on popping out following his dislocation and he explains a little more about why a posterior shoulder dislocation can be trickier to treat than the more common anterior dislocation.  

So join us as we unravel Charlie's incredible journey so far and look ahead, we all hope, to Olympic glory. Jennifer and Gordon find out more about the disciplines within the world of competitive mountain biking and Charlie has top tips for anyone wanting to take up the sport.   

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Prof Mackay nearly crashed his car when he tuned into Heart Radio and heard Jennifer chatting to a former patient, Kirsty Mack, about becoming only the 6th ever Scottish woman to climb Everest! The reason for his astonishment was that he and the mountaineer and ski instructor met after she crashed, skiing off-piste in Scotland, was whisked off the mountains by helicopter and then ended up on his operating table having surgery for the bad shoulder injury she sustained. So of course we had to invite her to talk to us more.

For her part, Kirsty remembers thinking that after following her rehab to a tee she would soon be as right as rain again. But, as she found out, serious shoulder injuries like this can leave lasting effects. 

In an incredible episode, we talk to this high-octane adventurer about scaling some of the world's highest mountains without the full function of one arm. What it takes out of her physically and how it has affected her mentally when skiing or climbing. 

We talk about her shoulder - fracture dislocation, and why the injury was so serious,  in terms of what it meant for someone whose use of full arm extension and grip is crucial. Prof Mackay explains more about the injury and why surgery was necessary.

Of course, we also talk from the comfort of our studio about what an incredible experience it was getting to the top of the world - the highs, the lows, the danger points and listen out for the huge twist near the end of Kirsty's Everest tale!

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Well, one thing's for sure Scotland could have done with a little of the magic of former Captain Richard Gough in their friendly against England recently. We however were lucky enough to welcome him to the podcast. Dominating football in the 90s, Richard was capped 61 times for Scotland and played for famous clubs like Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. But for the young lad who started his career at Dundee United, it was his ten years with Rangers, many as Captain, for which he is most famous.  He was the first Scottish player to be transferred to a Scottish team for over £1,000,000 and he joined in what was to become a golden era for the club winning 9 league titles, 3 Scottish Cups, and 6 League Cups.

Known as 'Captain Blood, for his fearless defense Richard suffered a few injuries in his career but interestingly it was neuromas in both feet that he remembers causing him immense pain and a particularly bruising thigh injury which required an ambulance dash to A&E. Prof Mackay explains what a neuroma is why they cause so much pain and what can be done surgically to help. 

Of course, this episode is absolutely full of amazing tales and anecdotes from Richard's playing career so if you want to hear about some of his finest moments, the famous late goals, what it felt like pulling on the famous blue top for the first time and playing with some of the biggest household names of the time, under some of the most famous managers, stick on your headphones and settle back.

We also have a fascinating chat about his own stint as a manager, what he thinks of management style today, and how his connection to Rangers continues on.

Don't miss it! 


   

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Women's football is full of talk about an ACL injury 'epidemic' - but is this really the case? To help us find answers we are delighted to welcome to the podcast, world-leading ACL injury research expert Professor Kate Webster who is Director of the Sport, Exercise, and Research Focus Area at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. 

For over 20 years Professor Webster's research has covered many topics that relate to ACL injury, surgery, and recovery - not only the biomechanical changes that can occur after surgery but also return to sport issues following ACL reconstruction. She was lead developer of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury scale and has won many research awards. Interestingly Australia has the highest global rates per capita of ACL reconstruction, and her research is very much focussed on real-world results that inform surgical practice. You won't find anyone who knows more! 

Our chat covers the latest facts and figures surrounding everything from who is most likely to suffer an ACL injury, does age and gender make a difference, which sports are affected most, what are reinjury rates like, and why they occur.

She has done fascinating research looking into subjects like how recovery time is a factor when returning to sport to avoid re-injury and the results are an eye-opener. In fact, this is what makes this whole episode so fascinating - much of what Professor Webster and her team uncover is not what they initially expect to find. She has also looked into the psychological side of injury and how it affects return to sport.

An absolutely brilliant episode - and one that highlights that among what can seem scary statistics for young female athletes - there are lots of positives in there too - you don't want to miss it.










 

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A brilliant chat with Angela Mudge who is surely one of our most incredible athletes. Her list of achievements as a Hill, Mountain and Skyrunner is extraordinary - she has won the Scottish Hill Running Championships several times, as well as the Women's World Mountain Running Trophy, the World Masters Mountain Running Championships and the Buff Skyrunner World Series - but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Angela views running and races as a series of tough challenges but with the added benefit of incredible views. Not for her endless laps pounding head down around a track of a track, no chance! Her backdrop is mountains, hills and fells. She has literally run her way around the world, and it is difficult not to be inspired when you hear all that she gains from her sport and the people in it.

Preferring to take her tent and camp on course she takes her training seriously and has great tips for anyone wanting to be successful in this tough, physical sport - whether you are simply plotting your path to a park run or to a serious challenge like the Mont Blanc Sky Race. Today Angela is still competing although more for enjoyment than glory, as well as training the next young cohort of Scottish mountain runners.

She nearly paid a heavy price for all those miles on the clock though when a run downhill left her with a painfully locked knee, and it took a while to get the final diagnosis of an osteochondral lesion. This could have been career-threatening but with typical understated tenacity, she had surgery with Prof Mackay and declined to ask how her own recovery would go. She relied more on her own instincts and the help of her incredible physio to rehab and although it took several months of hard work, to her surgeon's delight she returned to her best.

We chat over this injury - what it is, how it occurs, symptoms to look out for, why it can be so serious and what treatments are available.

Angela also talks us through other common running injuries and the importance of getting the right kit to tackle each terrain. A fascinating episode with an incredible athlete.

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Welcome to our latest episode in which we have the privilege of sitting down with the incredible Rachel Corsie, a true superstar in the world of Women's Football. She has been capped for Scotland over 140 times, beating the setback of an ACL rupture in 2012 to go on to triumph in teams all over the world. Rachel's journey has been nothing short of remarkable and she is currently signed for Aston Villa and playing in the Women's Super League.

For Rachel, overcoming her ACL rupture was a pivotal moment in her career - tackling her rehab meticulously, it worked and she returned to reclaim her spot at the top of the game. With grit, determination, and unwavering passion, she has continued to dominate the field for years.

And as the world gets Women's World Cup fever, we chat over why ACL ruptures in the women's game are making headlines. Prof Mackay explains why young female players are more susceptible to this horrible injury than their male counterparts. Rachel takes us through her own initial injury, surgery, and brilliant recovery. Although she did suffer further cartilage damage and has been left with a legacy of minor knee irritations which occasionally require small interventions - which is how she first met Prof Mackay!

Rachel explains how her knee has felt down the years and how she manages it with strength & conditioning to stay at her physical peak and avoid re-injury.

We also chat about advances in research, technology and treatments for cruciate rupture which offer hope to today's players for faster, stronger recoveries. 

So join us as Rachel shares her incredible story - be inspired by her resilience, her triumphs, and the valuable insights she's gained throughout her extraordinary career. Whether you're a football enthusiast or simply someone seeking injury recovery inspiration, this is a podcast you won't want to miss! 

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Fantastic to chat with top US foot and ankle doc Troy Watson. Sports injuries specialist, Troy is the foot and ankle consultant for among others, UNLV Athletics, UFC, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Golden Knights, and the Silver Knights.

Ever the innovator Troy has collaborated with Prof Mackay many times on the development of the InternalBrace ligament repair technique for ankle injuries and so we were delighted we managed to grab a little time with him on a recent visit to the UK.

We chat through his journey into orthopedics, why he chose to specialize in the foot and ankle and then sports surgery. We also talk over some of the main injuries he treats in his Las Vegas practice such as Jones Fractures and 'Turf Toe', and about how harnessing developing technology has allowed him to update and innovate treatments.

A chat with Troy is never complete without talking about his beloved American football and this takes us into a fascinating discussion about how playing on different surfaces can lead to higher injury incidence and we take a quick look at ankle injury prevention.

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Brilliant to welcome Olympian and World Cup gold winner, Judoka James Austin to the podcast. Incredibly James has also won the British title in three different weight categories (we ask him how that is even possible!) James and Prof Mackay met when James suffered a serious knee injury which ultimately kept him out of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Talking to James the first thing that comes across is his absolute love for the sport of Judo still going strong after stumbling across it 32 years ago. From the age of 11 to the age of 14 he tells us he won absolutely nothing pretty much till he took an under-16 British Title. It is really refreshing to hear how, undaunted he just kept doing what he loved and boy did it ever pay off for him.

Of course, he talks us through his 'other level' knee injury and you can hear, even from this distance the impact it had at the time. In typical James fashion though he turned it into a positive - using the encouragement of team mates and help from the support team to make a remarkable recovery, although it was fully two years before he managed to compete again.

Now as a coach and sports psychologist, he is perhaps uniquely placed to understand the pressures of training and avoiding injury. 

Hearing him chat about the atmosphere at London 2012 is particularly inspiring even though, to begin with, he was as he says, 'bricking it!' A brilliant episode, full of James' self-deprecating wit - don't let him fool you though there is an iron will and a lot of talent behind the jokes! 

For more judo chat check out his own 'Original Judo Podcast'.
 

 






   

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