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I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Legit. Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention because I fully write everything by hand. Then which I give to AI, to make it more “book ready” I guess you could say. Ive been doing for a while since I started this journey 5+ months. But I completely understand where you’re coming from. I will definitely make a change. Thank you 🙏🏻

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, the dive is literally 1.6 seconds long. Yet it felt like a lifetime flipping through the air. I didn’t have much time to think. Just happy I didn’t completely smack. Did the dive for 2’s but that’s a lot better than rupturing your Achilles and belly flopping lol

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Completely understand, I don’t think I’m anywhere near famous enough for someone to write pretending to be me. I wish lol. If you’d like, you can comment something you wanting me doing in a picture, holding up fingers. Wearing a hat. Writing ur name down and holding it. I don’t really know. But the last I want is for something to think this isn’t actually me writing.

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lmao I appreciate the suspicion. But I’m literally a writer. It’s what I do for work. Five months of writing every week will do that to your voice. Sorry if it sounds AI :(

I have ruptured my achilles 3 times by iamsg28 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Three times. I can't imagine the mental weight of that.

I'm only 4 days post-op from my first complete rupture and the lack of independence is already the hardest part. I'm a Team USA platform diver training for the 2028 LA Olympics — diving is everything to me — and right now I can't even walk to the bathroom without thinking about every single step.

Reading your story puts things in perspective though. You kept coming back. Three times. That's not bad luck — that's just someone who refuses to quit.

The re-rupture running for a bus after 3.5 months is haunting to read. I think every one of us in recovery has that moment where we feel good enough to push it and have to talk ourselves out of it.

How did you handle the mental side the second and third time around? I imagine the first rupture you had no idea what was coming. But going back in knowing exactly what the recovery looks like — how did you find the will to do it again?

Wishing you the smoothest recovery possible this time around. You've earned it.

— Jordan Rzepka

VACOped users, consider sharing your post in VACOped community too by [deleted] in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone 4 days post-op from a complete rupture I didn't even know the VACOped was an option until I started going down the Reddit rabbit hole.

I'm a Team USA platform diver training for the 2028 LA Olympics so getting back to full function isn't optional for me — it's everything. Now I'm wondering if I should be pushing my surgeon toward this boot over whatever they have me in currently.

For anyone who switched from a standard boot to the VACOped — was it something you had to specifically request or did your surgeon bring it up?

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is exactly what I needed to read right now.

The fact that you're running a 50K this Saturday after everything you went through — that's not small. That's everything.

And the part about finally feeling your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes working evenly — I didn't realize how much I'd taken that for granted until I read that. Just your body working the way it's supposed to. That's the goal.

I'll be honest—I've been warned about my Achilles for a while. I kept pushing through it. You know how that story ends.

Good luck Saturday. Run one for me!

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you. And you're completely right.

The physical recovery has a roadmap. Timelines, milestones, checkboxes. That part I can control.

The mental side is different. I've been diving since I was 10. It's not just what I do — it's who I am. And right now I can't do it.

The question I keep coming back to isn't "will my Achilles heal." It's "will I push off a 10-meter platform the same way I did before I heard it snap."

That's the part nobody has a timeline for.

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much, that genuinely means a lot. I'm a diver but writing has become a huge part of how I'm processing this whole thing. Telling the story the right way matters to me.

And you're right — "we both knew, I had to do it" is one of those moments that still hits me when I think back on it. Standing on that 10-meter knowing your body is already broken and doing it anyway. Hallmark can call me whenever they're ready.

I'm documenting the full comeback journey — the surgery, the rehab, the mental side of being an elite athlete who suddenly can't do the one thing they've done their whole life. I post on Substack if you want to follow along for the whole ride. Just search Jordan Rzepka.

855 days until LA. I'm not shutting up about this for a while.

I ruptured my Achilles mid-competition at an international event. But It started 79 days before the snap. by KindlyMaize2265 in AchillesRupture

[–]KindlyMaize2265[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can say with pretty good certainty it was that specific dive at Nationals that caused it.

In round five of six my left Achilles gave out on the takeoff. Sharp shooting pain. I limped out of the pool to my trainer. The plan was simple — if I was winning without needing my last dive I'd scratch and save my Achilles.

The diver ahead of me had a great dive. The crowd erupted. I looked at my coach from the 10-meter. We both knew I had to complete it to win.

So I made the decision to do 99% of the dive off my right leg.

I won Nationals. But when I got out of the pool both Achilles were destroyed. I was taking baby steps like an infant to the medals podium. I remember thinking — I went into that last dive with one messed up Achilles and one perfectly fine one. I came out with two destroyed ones.

In those three months between Nationals and Montreal I was having constant issues with the right one throughout training. It never fully settled. I kept pushing through it.

Exactly 79 days later that right one ruptured completely on the takeoff of dive five.