Gymnast Rachel bounces back strongly from serious injury

KUALA LUMPUR: Career-threatening injuries can weaken the resolve of some athletes. But national artistic gymnast Rachel Yeoh Li Wen is made of sterner stuff.

The resilient Rachel still trained hard after surgeries on both her knees and she made a sensational comeback by winning the girls’ balance beam gold at the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Ipoh, Perak. That success has given her the confidence to dream big again.

The 20-year-old also won a silver for Penang in the uneven bars in her last Sukma.

Last year, Rachel was on the brink of quitting after suffering from a hyperextended knee following a vault routine that went wrong during an international tournament in Taiwan last April.

Her ligaments on both knees were damaged and she had to undergo Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) surgery.

“I was crushed as I had to miss the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last year. The rehabilitation was a challenge as it required discipline to go through it daily and diligently but I came through it,” said Rachel.

“The Sukma was my first competition after the injury and surgery. I only started doing upper body training two months ago and I did well in the Sukma. It has given me the confidence again.

“I was mulling over my future after the injury. My mother advised me to give up the sport as she can’t bear to see me go through the pain and heartache. But I’ve proven that I can still compete and win,” said the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)’s first-year Bachelor of Science in Statistics student.

Rachel does not want to be just another number in the national team as her success in the Sukma has whetted her appetite for the international stage.

Rachel is in the national team with Tracie Ang, Tan Ing Yueh, Farah Ann Hadi, Nur Azira Aziri and Geanie Ng and her most memorable outing is winning a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Invitational in Scotland.

“I don’t want to give up until I achieve something big in gymnastics. I’ve been in the national team for some time but I’ve missed two SEA Games. This is a second chance for me to prove myself in the team and I want to do well,” said Rachel.

Rachel, who joined the national team in 2011, has set her sights on next year’s Philippines SEA Games.

“If all goes well, I also want to qualify for the Olympics too (2020 edition in Tokyo, Japan),” added the iron-willed Rachel.