"I found out that I had a stress fracture in my femur"- US athlete Liza Corso reflects on her struggles as she wins bronze medal at Paris Paralympics

Liza Corso won the bronze medal in the women's 1500m T-13 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The 21-year-old opened up about her struggles and the challenges that she faced as she marched on to her second consecutive appearance at the Paralympics.

Corse revealed that she suffered a stress fracture and was not allowed to run for six weeks before the Paris Paralympics therefore restricting her training routine. Despite facing a setback leading up to the sport's pinnacle event, she did not lose hope and trained on the bike along with pool sessions, hoping for a quick recovery.

"I’ve only ran 8 miles in the last six weeks. Right after I qualified for Paris, I found out that I had a stress fracture in my femur. This meant I wasn’t allowed to run in the 6 weeks leading up to the games. Even with this diagnosis, I knew I still wanted to find some way to compete! I put my head down and got to work. I spent hours on the bike, literally sweating puddles, and swam many laps in the pool. To be completely honest, this was some of the hardest training I’ve done physically but also mentally," she wrote on Instagram.

Even though she was bothered by the fact that she did not train much before the Paralympics due to the stress fracture, Liza Corso made sure to avoid negative thoughts and elevate her confidence as she geared up to compete in Paris.

"It was terrifying knowing that I was going to be racing on the biggest stage with barely any running beforehand. I was constantly pushing doubt and negative thoughts out of my mind and instead leaning on God. I kept reminding myself that He never sends us into a situation alone," she added.

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Liza Corso on competing in her second consecutive Paralympic Games

Liza Corso at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games - Day 3 - Para Athletics - Source: Getty

Liza Corso competed in the Tokyo Paralympics and won the silver medal in the women's 1500m T-13. She spoke about making her second Paralympic appearance in Paris.

The American athlete expressed her gratitude for receiving the opportunity as well and felt more prepared for the race due to the international exposure that she received over the years.

"I feel that this time around, I am a little more prepared by having more international racing experience. It is an honor and super special to race with USA across my chest. I am also reminded that I am racing for the country as a whole, but also my community and the people who support me," she said.

Furthermore, she feels that her journey would be a great inspiration for other athletes to overcome adversities and achieve paramount success.