Hayley Raso Fights Back After Injuries

February 25, 2020
By Gaby Alejandro

Professional athletes are perhaps the closest thing we have to real life superheroes. Their games are like weekly comic book issues, we tune in to see if our favorites will be victorious. But life is rough when your favorite player is 5’4” and fearless enough to constantly ask “what’s up, danger?” Less than two years after suffering a broken back, and only a few months after sporting a cast on her wrist, Hayley Raso broke her nose during an Olympic qualifying match against China.

Hayley Raso in wheelchair recovering from broken back

Anyone who has ever seen Raso play knows she gives it her all every time no matter what. It was no different during an Olympic qualifying match against China earlier this month. An elbow to the face broke her nose. Did that stop her from finishing the game? Of course not! She patched herself up and got right back into the game to help the Matildas tie China 1-1.

But the injury was serious enough to warrant surgery. Raso was due to start with her new club, Everton, but that’s now delayed. Instead of flying to the UK, she found herself in the operating room. Not to worry though, the ribbon-clad forward updated fans on the status of her injury on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Unfortunately broke my nose in a few places last game and needed an operation to straighten it up! A minor setback for me, but I’m already looking forward to getting back to work with the @matildas and finally starting my next journey with @evertonwomen. For now, it’s home time for me to rest and recover ??

A post shared by Hayley Raso (@hayleyraso) on Feb 19, 2020 at 1:49pm PST

It is comforting to know the surgery went without a hitch and she’s healing well. But now, it’s a mental game. With so many injuries in such a short amount of time, one can only imagine the mental anguish that comes with it. Those ups and downs can be exhausting. While your body might need rest, your mind wants action. No matter how tough you are, it’s a hard battle to fight on your own.

Luckily, we know Raso isn’t going it alone. Friends, family, and fans are cheering her on. There’s a good chance we’ll see her play, most likely in a protective face mask, during Australia’s next qualifying match against Vietnam on March 6th.

Sure, athletes don’t fight villains or save the world. But, maybe it’s enough for them to bring someone enough joy every week to get them to stick around to catch the next match. And the next one. And the one after that. When you see them fall into the belly of the whale, walk a road of trials, and make a triumphant return, you can’t help but wonder if maybe you can do that too. Isn’t that heroic on its own? It’s tough for us Hayley Raso fans to see her endure this many injuries in such a short amount of time. But no matter hard she’s knocked down, she always gets back up and fights twice as hard. Because that’s what heroes do.