Runner ends long recovery

Last year, Amanda Bales lost something she loved.

When the doctors told her last October she would have to miss her fifth and final year of Missouri cross country because of a stress fracture in her foot, the disappointment was limitless.

But she worked and she hoped, and now she will get another shot to do what she loves.

She will get to run.

Now about to start another season on the cross country team, the 23-year-old All-American runner wants to end her prestigious career at Missouri with a strong effort.

With the team’s first meet on Sept. 9, Bales will get another chance to compete after being medically redshirted and missing all of her freshman year as well as missing all of last year because of injury. She is determined not to waste the opportunity.

“When something gets taken away from you, it makes you want it even more,” Bales said. “This is my sixth year, and I want to make it special and finish everything out strong for the team.”

Bales suffered her injury during the team’s first meet last September when she fell several times and twisted her ankle. Soon afterward she was told to take a month off and to wear a medical boot.

She went through rehab sessions where she spent time running in the pool trying to keep in shape for the Big 12 Championship, which she hoped to run in to try to salvage her lost season. She still went to practices to see her teammates and friends and tried for a speedy recovery. After a bone scan and MRI in October, doctors told Bales she would not be able to run at all for the remainder of the 2005 season.

“I was extremely disappointed for a number of reasons,” Bales said. “I had a really good summer, I felt like I was in pretty good shape, and I couldn’t train with the girls I had trained with every day for several years.”

Assistant coach and womens’ distance coach Rebecca Wilmes remembered how hard it was for Bales.

“She wants to be great and wants to compete, so not getting to do that last season was really difficult for her,” Wilmes said. “It was hard because we still had to try a season, and we didn’t know if she could run or not, but she was very mature throughout it all.”

Despite the fact Wilmes said the break in Bales’ foot was one that the trainer had only seen twice in 20 years, Bales never lost her sense of motivation.

This motivation comes from several places. The main reasons she joined track her junior year of high school was because of her love for competition and because of some encouragement from her father.

Kasey Kimball, a teammate of Bales for three years, said she’s never seen such an amazing competitor.

“She knows what she wants and she does it,” Kimball said. “She’s a fighter.”

As the years went on, Bales said that her love of competing expanded to running as well.

“Running is very freeing,” Bales said. “I like the rushes of adrenaline.” In addition to the competition, family encouragement and running, Bales has her faith as another strong motivator. A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, she relies on her faith to get through all the ups and downs running has to offer.

“Running is spiritual; when I’m on a run alone I can talk to God,” Bales said. “The spiritual foundation I have and my belief in Christ makes getting through the bad times a lot easier.”

After a disappointing missed 2005 season, she had to face another anxiety-filled time in February when she appealed to the NCAA to run for a sixth season.

“I was very scared last year, because there was so much uncertainty on whether or not I’d be able to run this year,” Bales said. “I just did all the coaches asked and hoped for the best.”

To Bales’ relief, the NCAA said she could run a sixth season of cross country last spring.

After receiving the good news, Bales worked on her feet during the summer and conditioned for this year, a year in which she hopes the team will make it to nationals.

Bales’ conditioning includes running twice a day sometimes and typically accumulating 45 miles a week. Despite this conditioning, she said the thought of another injury is still there.

“She’s a high achieving person with a high tolerance for pain,” Wilmes said. “We really have to pull the reins, because she’s so fit and so motivated.”

Over the summer, Bales dealt with some pain in her hip. Even so, her determination is as strong as ever.

“I’m really determined this year, and I just want to make all the hard work and time pay off and not let the opportunity of getting an extra year to go in vain,” Bales said. “I want to give it my all for the team.”

Her strong devotion to the team led to her appointment as captain for the past three years. Once again, she’ll be leading her teammates as captain this year, something that Bales said has been one of her proudest accomplishments during her Missouri running career because her teammates nominated her.

“Just being able to lead the team is awesome,” Bales said. “Cross country is all about doing well as a team.”

Her talent as a leader has impressed her coach as much as her talent as a runner. Wilmes said she couldn’t have asked for more from a runner or a person.

“She’s a coach’s dream,” Wilmes said. “She’s so good about looking out for her teammates and encouraging them.”

Kimball said she is extremely supportive of everyone.

“She’s very inspirational,” Kimball said. “She’s an incredible team player and everybody on the team looks up to her.”

With each year, Bales said she realizes more and more just how important the friendships she has made on the team are. The familylike atmosphere that has motivated her so much over the last five years will continue to do so as she begins racing next Saturday at the Missouri Invitational.

“The team and the people are my favorite part of being here and doing this. You can go anywhere to run cross country, but to run with people you really care about and want to go the extra mile for, it makes it different,” Bales said. “I wouldn’t trade the real friendships I’ve made here for anything.”