Dealing with Osgood Schlatter pain has been one of the hardest things I have faced as a young athlete. This photo was taken during a football match where I literally played five minutes before I had to come off. The pain in my knee was just too much. I could not push through it anymore.

It is so frustrating sitting on the sidelines with an ice pack watching everyone else play.

The Last Few Months Have Been Really Hard

Honestly these last four or five months have tested me. There have been days where I just wanted to train normally and compete without thinking about my knee. Some mornings I wake up and it feels okay. Then other days it flares up and I cannot do anything.

Osgood Schlatter is a growth condition. My bones are growing faster than my muscles can keep up with. The doctors say it is really common in young athletes who train a lot. That does not make it any less annoying though.

What Is Getting Me Through

The thing keeping me going is knowing this is temporary. It is just a challenging stage. My body is growing and adapting. Perseverance and proper care will get me through this. I have been doing more stretching and strengthening exercises. I have also been more careful about when I push and when I rest.

Massive thanks to Motion Mender for the ongoing support with recovery and massages. That has helped so much with managing the pain and keeping my muscles loose. Also big thanks to Pink Coco London and PartMax for their continued support through this difficult time.

I Know Better Days Are Coming

The good news is things are getting better now. Slowly but definitely improving. I am learning to listen to my body more. I cannot just ignore pain and push through everything like I used to.

This setback will not define me. It is just part of my journey. When I come back stronger for the JKS World Championships in Brazil I will appreciate it even more because I know what I went through to get there.

If you want to support my journey back to full fitness and help me keep training and competing you can donate to my GoFundMe here: Support Jakob’s Journey. Every bit helps and I appreciate all of you so much.

This is just a chapter. Not the whole story.

For a full guide, see Jakob’s Hard Work, Determination, and Growth.