Ole Fit Athlete of the Week: Laura Post

Meet Laura Post!

1. Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN

2. Sport/Position: Women’s Alpine Skiing/ captain

3. Favorite music to work out to: Anything with good bass or electric guitar. Head-bobbing music. 

4. Best sports memory: My freshmen year of college when we got third place in the slalom at Sun Valley, ID. I ran 5th seed, so I was the last one down for my team. I knew that everyone had finished well, but I didn’t know the exact numbers and times because I was only focusing on my run. When I crossed the finish line, I knew I finished decently well because I skied conservative but still fast, with minimal mistakes. The announcer roared as I crossed the finish line and was so enthusiastic to announce that we had just podiumed as a team at Nationals. Not only did we get third, but all 5 of our athletes finished in the top 20 out of 120 or so racers. The crowd went wild. I slid through the finish arena into a huge dog pile of my sisters and my ski team and we all were just so high on life in that moment. We were truly on cloud nine. 

5. Favorite part of playing on a college sports team: The camaraderie. My teammates are my family; we spend almost all of our time together, and have so many common interests. I also really enjoy traveling. It can be exhausting, but it is fun to spend the weekends in hotels with other ski teams and get off campus, you know, a change of scenery and peers. 

6. Inspirational athlete: Mikaela Shiffrin.

7. Any pregame rituals or superstitions?: No superstitions. I don’t have lucky socks or anything. But I have quite a few rituals. I always have to get a good night’s sleep and I have to eat breakfast. I always listen to music on race day, with the ear bud in my left ear. I always have to click into my skis before I buckle my boots. When I get into the start gate, I click my poles twice, no more, no less. And on the countdown “Racer ready, 5-4-3-2-1-GO” I always go between 3 and 2. 

8. Favorite food after a hard practice: A nice big glass of chocolate milk, pasta, chicken, and a great big salad. 

9. Other extracurriculars or activities you’re involved in on campus: I have two jobs on campus – one as the turtle caretaker in Regents where I clean and feed 70+ turtles every week, and one as an Intramural Sports Office Manager. I volunteer every Sunday morning at the Northfield Hospital in the Long Term Care Center, where I have the privilege of playing board games with the residents and with my brother. 

10. Any sports-related advice?: Always listen to your body, because no one knows you better than you.  

 

The“always listen to your body” was my motto as I spent the last 10 months recovering from ACL surgery. This was my second ACL injury, so I knew a little more about what to expect in the rehab process, but I still encountered some bumps in the road. At about month 4, I had excruciating kneecap pain, which prevented me from doing a lot of my rehab exercises. I picked up road cycling in lieu of running, and cycling turned out to develop into a brand new passion of mine. Anywho, I couldn’t run for more than 10 seconds without having to sit down. I felt like I was moving backwards in my progress. I got through that hard time with the help of ibuprofen and kinesio tape, and soon enough I was back on track. Then, at month 6, I developed a herniated disk in my L5/S1 vertebrae. This put me out of commission for over a month. I was back in the PT office, feeling like I had to start over form square one, but with a new injury. After 2 months of back pain, I was back on my feet and training 110% at dryland with the team. Last night I skied gates for the first time. I had no knee pain, no back pain, and most importantly, I was skiing confidently, strong and FAST. I consider my recovery a success. I truly don’t think it would have been as successful if I didn’t listen to my body. If I had ignored my sharp knee and back pain, those issues would translate into my slope training, which is a distraction that no one needs. I have entered the season feeling stronger and more confident than ever, and I am looking forward to sharing those vibes with the rest of my team :) 

 

I’m also a pre-med biology major with a biomedical studies concentration. I have had a strong passion for orthopedics since I tore my ACL for the first time when I was 13 years old. Being in and out of hospitals and operating rooms sparked my curiosity and I craved to learn more about the field. I wanted to help athletes just like myself return to the sports they are passionate about. My own surgeon, doctor Andrea Saterbak, M.D., grew up as a ski racer out of Buck Hill, where I grew up skiing. Our personalities instantly clicked, and I wanted to be just like her. There is an inherent challenge of being a female pursuing the male-dominant field of orthopedic surgery, and that is extremely motivating and intriguing to me. I love the chase of a good challenge. So I began shadowing orthopedic operational procedures. I absolutely loved the intensity of the environment. I loved how poised and confident Dr. Saterbak was during her procedures, and I couldn’t help but see myself in her shoes. There is so much reward in the field of orthopedics. Athletes of all ages are constantly tearing ligaments and breaking bones while elders are always developing needs for knee and hip replacements. There is an amazing amount of reward and satisfaction in the field of orthopedics when you, as the surgeon, are able to give someone their entire life back. Someone who could no longer walk because of a bad knee can walk again after an orthopedic procedure. An athlete that is injured and out of play is able to return to the sport he or she loves after having his or her ACL reconstructed, etc. Because of this,I have developed a very strong aspiration and passion to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon.