LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY WORTH IT’

6 March 2015

Shepparton News - Matthew Galea

A year off the park has not been enough to knock Holly Boldiston off the pathway to soccer stardom.

The 15-year-old winger is set to make her long-awaited return to competitive soccer after 18 months out with injury, rehab, trials and pre-season.

Just days out from the start of the 2015 season as part of the Victorian National Training Centre squad which will play in the Women’s Victorian Premier League, the smile on her face says it was all worth it.

‘‘I’m so excited because it’s been such a long road back from injury,’’ Boldiston said.

‘‘There was probably about 12 months of recovery and rehab, so I’m really excited for the season.’’

Boldiston’s injury woes started 18 months ago while playing for the Victoria under-14 girls side in a metro under-13 boys competition.

‘‘I just had a fall and landed on my knee and suffered some ligament damage, and then I loaded up too quickly trying to come back and trial for the under15 Vic team and it became a bone injury,’’ Boldiston said.

The injury was a complicated one in that it was the result of a biomechanical problem which was causing an overload of the medial compartment of her knee.

The solution therefore was not as straightforward as a simple strain or tear and meant Boldiston’s recovery program focused on completely changing the way she moved.

Her potential on the field meant she had access to the state program’s best physios and trainers, and although she could not play she was still constantly under the eye of NTC selectors while participating in the Return to Play program.

Boldiston travelled to Melbourne twice or three times a week for her recovery program, which she had to complete on her own, while she also continued the program in Shepparton.

‘‘It was good that I wasn’t dropped out of the system, but it was hard watching the girls train and not be out there,’’ Boldiston said.

The lonely nights proved worth it when she was allowed to join back in light training before participating in six weeks of trials for the 2015 NTC squad.

Despite being bottom-age, Boldiston received the news she had made the 36-girl squad just before Christmas.

Boldiston has played most of the pre-season in the NTC’s second squad, which will play in the reserves competition of the WPL, but has high hopes of progressing to the senior squad and beyond.

‘‘I’d expect to play in the reserves against South Melbourne when the season starts (on Sunday),’’ Boldiston said.

‘‘The aim is to play seniors . . . and my other goal is to make the final NTC Institute Challenge squad which plays nationals (against the other NTC state squads) in Canberra.’’