{"id":62166,"date":"2026-04-18T20:40:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T20:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=62166"},"modified":"2026-04-20T14:36:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:36:38","slug":"injury-recovery-series-alex-deglopper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/injury-recovery-series-alex-deglopper\/","title":{"rendered":"Injury Recovery Series: Alex DeGlopper"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What a skydiving injury teaches you about support, patience, and getting back in the plane.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The potential for Injury is baked into just about every risk we account for in skydiving. Always in the background, and hopefully something we do our best to mitigate through good planning and decision making. That said, they can still happen, and when they do, they bring some unexpected perspectives and lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To clarify, my injury was enough to put me on the sidelines for a good handful of weeks, but in no way equates to the more catastrophic injuries some of us have witnessed or even experienced. Although my story is small by comparison, I hope the lessons learned can apply to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My oopsie woopsie and the pain that followed initially seemed underwhelming. Something to be thankful for, of course, but what I didn\u2019t expect was the shock when it came to lifestyle change. It\u2019s challenging, seeing yourself as a relatively capable person, especially physically, and then feeling like that has been \u201ctaken away\u201d from you abruptly. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a way to fully prepare for being totally self-sufficient one day, only to need help with just about everything\u2026 up to and including stepping in and out of the shower the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author Alex DeGlopper <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Support System You Didn\u2019t Know You Had<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A sliver lining here, especially in the early stages, is getting to see your support system in action. The amount of people who not only reached out, but also played an active role in getting me the support I needed was incredible. Heartwarming is an understatement. To those of you who helped, you know who you are, and I\u2019ll never forget it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one major positive in anything bad that happens to us, it\u2019s that it gives your friends and loved ones a chance, a real chance to show you how far they\u2019re willing to go for you. Moments like these almost make getting injured feel worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Felix Wetterberg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keep Small Goals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another huge lesson learned: keep goals small. Unless you\u2019re superhuman, the chances of you getting \u201cback to normal\u201d on a timeline that meets your desires are unlikely. Here\u2019s an example, instead of thinking \u201cMan it\u2019s gonna be MONTHS before I can even walk right, let alone jump again\u201d you can focus on \u201cDude I stood up today. It was in a boot, and it was only for a minute or two, but that\u2019s so much better than it was yesterday. I can\u2019t wait to see what tomorrow brings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of thinking not only makes healing way more positive, I also believe it makes it feel like it\u2019s passing by much faster. Looking back now, the first few days felt like they\u2019d never end, and then suddenly 10 weeks went by in the blink of an eye. It\u2019s important to understand that there are ebbs and flows in this process. Just because I\u2019m saying focus on the positive, doesn\u2019t mean I didn\u2019t have days where I felt downright depressed. I\u2019m far from an authority figure on mental health, but if anyone reading this has the misfortune of knowing what I\u2019m talking about, I hope you can take some solace in knowing you\u2019re not the only one who has gotten depressed through recovery. I can say for me personally, keeping the focus and goals small, then patiently expanding to the bigger picture is what kept me in the right headspace the vast majority of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What comes next is a balancing act I\u2019m not sure I completely got the hang of. Supporting your friends and staying up to date with what\u2019s happening in the sport, but also doing what you can to take some time off without feeling guilty. For those of us who have worked full-time in skydiving, we know how much of a grind (albeit a fun and rewarding one) it can feel like day to day. So getting \u201coff the ride\u201d suddenly requires some adjustments. Bottom line, you get to take as much time as you need for yourself, so checking in on what\u2019s happening in the community is super healthy until it\u2019s not. I think some FOMO is normal and can even aid in keeping a purpose through recovery, but finding that line is critical and will likely look different for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alex swooping Spaceland’s pond
Photo by Felix Wetterberg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Taking Control of the Comeback<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another key takeaway: don\u2019t forget that you\u2019re still in the driver\u2019s seat. A loss of control in these situations is, on some level inevitable, but always remember that you can and should play a massive role in getting back to \u201cnormal.\u201d To be clear, I am by no means saying that you shouldn\u2019t follow whatever guidelines have been set by your Doctors, PT, or any other professional that\u2019s a part of your recovery team. What I am saying is that it\u2019s essential to remember you\u2019re still in the driver\u2019s seat with you yourself as an active contributor, not a passenger. What this meant for me was religiously following my PT program (probably to the point of obsession), knowing when to push the affected area, when to back off, and when it was time to stop \u2018babying\u2019 it and start \u2018training\u2019 it. This milestone felt like a big one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What comes next is tricky. Knowing when to get back to flying. Just because you\u2019ve put in the weeks of PT and whatever else was necessary, it doesn\u2019t mean hitting as hard as you can (or want to after waiting so long) is the best course of action. My timelines were aggressive. I\u2019d like to think I did everything I could to recover right and fast. There were very few things I\u2019d change about my process. I say all this to say I was STILL nervous in the airplane on my first jump back because I now had firsthand knowledge of what the other side of an injury looks and feels like. I\u2019d like to think this is normal. What helped me quiet those thoughts was knowing that I truly did do everything I could, and the decision to slowly start getting back at it was a calculated one. I felt I had mitigated the risks to the best of my ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking Back<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As strange as it sounds, I\u2019m grateful to have had this experience. Perhaps it doesn\u2019t sound right to say I\u2019m grateful for something like this, but I am. It showed me how far my friends and family were willing to go for me, and proved that I\u2019m more than just what I can do physically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lessons can be taken from anything. The big ones here are to recognize and cherish your support systems, keep goals small but consistent, understand that you\u2019re probably not the only person on Earth that\u2019s ever felt \u201cthis way\u201d, know when to stop babying and start training, getting back to flying should be a calculated decision, and you are NOT your injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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