Tyler Westfall Canoe Slalom Update March 2022
Post Canoe Slalom World Cup Update
After a nice couple days post-race spent with friends in the area, I took a flight home since the arm was not showing any signs of relenting any time soon and continuing to attempt to race at the next two world cups would likely be detrimental to recovering. I switched my goal from taking the Olympic spot to healing my body in the fullest way possible. I wanted to not just fix the tendinitis, but dive deep into the root of the cause and fix my body such that I may come back stronger and more resistant to future injury. After many PT visits, ultrasounds, x-rays, MRIs, injections, etc. it was decided that I most likely had what is called intersection syndrome, where two tendons in your forearm rub against one another in a way that causes inflammation. The treatment options are cortisone injections, and rest. The cortisone was not effective so rest I did. I wasn’t just going to sit idly by and rest though. There were plenty other parts of my body that could do work, and I found a PT, Binila Abrams aka: Bini, who used a holistic approach to identify the root of why my forearm became inflamed in the first place. We identified several issues, I had gut inflammation and adhesions because I was eating foods that I had intolerances to, I had limited mobility of my thoracic spine which was placing stress on my neck and lower back, I had unstable scapula causing me to compensate for shoulder weakness by overloading the neck as well as the muscles in my forearm. I also had weak hips and glutes which poorly effects the upper extremities as this is your base, and for me what connects me to my boat. We wrote up an extensive plan of exercises for me to follow daily. This routine has since become a part of my everyday life to keep me flexible, strong, and stable enough to do my sport pain free.
We knew that the forearm needed rest from paddling so that the inflammation could go down for good, so I took a full 4-5 months out of the boat. Just focusing on doing my PT 2x a day and fitting in some cardio to stay fit, but there was another part of my daily routine that became all the more valuable during this injury which was my job as a Slalom Kayaking Coach. I studied sports science in college and have coached every year since graduating. The last two years I have been coaching for the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center, the largest development club for whitewater slalom in the US. I’ve always loved teaching kayaking and getting to pass on my knowledge and passion to the younger generations. I have also found that it is a very helpful tool as an athlete to also coach your sport. Many say teaching is the truest form of learning and I couldn’t agree more. The act of teaching gives you the most thorough understanding of a concept as you have to take your personal way of understanding it and have the ability to communicate that in a variety of different ways and using a number of different pathways depending on which clicks the best for the student. This has forced me to see kayaking with a whole new mindset and has given me much more clarity when I paddle as to what technical components are the most critical, where time can be made in a race, what lines are the best and most consistent. These are all things I realized back in 2018 when I started coaching but became much more critical for me upon injuring myself.
Many athletes who take time off for an injury end up not being around that sport for many months while I on the other had was still thinking about and living in the world of my sport multiple times a day, just from the shore rather than the water. Because of this I never once felt that I lost the mental aspect of my sport, in fact the increase in the amount I coached made me feel mentally more capable and confident than I did when I was on the water. When I watched one of my athletes execute a move in the way I was instructing them to I could feel my muscles contracting as I imagined my body doing the same things. My body may have gotten a break, but my neurons certainly did not. I actually found that my ability to visualize and imagine the best route without physically being in the boat became heightened during this period, a skill that is very important in a sport where the courses are ever changing, and visualization is your only form of practice prior to a race that requires execution.
Through my coaching gig I was able to take a group of 8 of the boys that I coach to Europe for 3 weeks to compete in 3 different international competitions around the Czech Republic. I had always been the athlete on such trips in the past so getting to be the coach and getting to show these guys around this beautiful country and introduce them to many friends, different foods, and different cultures was a fantastic experience. They made many connections with paddlers from around Europe much like I did when I was their age which I’m sure any parent would understand is such a nostalgic and wonderful feeling. They all performed respectably, and we even got to bring home some hardware.
As the summer neared its end I was able to begin paddling on flat water again! I had built up a considerable amount of strength progressing through many iterations of PT routines and my body was feeling very good. I certainly felt the arm as I got back into the water, but the thought was as long as I can manage the inflammation between each session and the pain isn’t compounding, I should be okay to slowly start picking up the training again. There were some ups and downs, some weeks that needed to be taken off, and a constant need to remind myself that my goal is to recover FULLY and come back stronger and in a sustainable way with a focus on longevity over short term gain. But eventually I was training daily again, and now 9 months later I have completed a couple months of intense, physical, winter training in the boat with no physical hindrances.
As I write this, I realize how easy it is to forget the times where you’re injured or how hard that was, and I think it will be important to recall often enough to remind me that I am resilient, that hardship comes and goes, and that I need to keep focused on training in a way that promotes longevity and give my body rest when it needs it.
Tyler
CANOE SLALOM WORLD CUP 2021
Tyler was preparing to compete at the 2021 World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic. Watch how Tyler was training hard for the top competition in the Canoe Slalom world.
CANOE SLALOM UPDATE - MAY 9, 2021
Tyler sends us an update a few weeks before the 2021 World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic. Watch his video update!
OLYMPICS RACE UPDATE - JULY 2021
Tyler competed at the 2021 World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic (June 11-13, 2022) to earn a spot in the U.S. Canoe Slalom Olympic Team. Tyler writes about his experience at this level and how the event turned out.