Tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann has described the “toughest time of her life” after suffering a serious injury in a car crash.
Rachel – dubbed the ‘world’s sexiest tennis influencer’, suffered a spinal injury in a car accident in December last year.
She underwent cervical disc replacement surgery to remove the C5-C6 disc in her neck and replace it with an artificial disc.
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Rachel, 31, told What’s the Jam: “Going through the injury and anterior cervical disc replacement surgery was one of the toughest experiences of my life.
“The process was overwhelming, dealing with excruciating, constant nerve pain and the intense anxiety of needing neck surgery.
“This ordeal gave me a new perspective on life.
“It showed me how quickly everything can change and how important it is to spend time with loved ones.
“I prayed constantly during this time and am incredibly thankful for the successful surgery.”
She added: “I’m finally feeling nearly 100% again.”
Rachel, who comes from St Louis, Missouri, said she was surprised by how long it took to recover from the ordeal.
The influencer, who boasts 311,000 Instagram fans and 114,000 followers on X, explained: “When I first shared my injury on social media, I received dozens of messages from people who had similar treatments.
“Many of them said it’s a long process that takes time.
“As an athlete, I thought I’d bounce back quickly, but they were right.
“My physical therapy journey has had its highs and lows, with good days and bad days.
“In my tennis training, I remember disliking the small movement exercises the most. This recovery has involved a lot of those.
“I’ve had to tap into a mindset I haven’t used in nearly ten years – the mindset of an athlete.
“I used to always think about the quote ‘the drills you hate the most are the ones you need the most’.
“I’ve applied that to my physical therapy, embracing the journey.
“I am deeply thankful to my family and friends, my surgeon, and my physical therapist for helping me through this.
“I’m not taking anything for granted anymore; walking, turning side to side, playing tennis – everything in life is a gift.”
She added: “It feels amazing to be back on the court and feeling great again!”
Rachel played NCAA Division I tennis for the University of Missouri from 2010 to 2014, earning a national ranking in singles and doubles.
She then moved into journalism and modelling, and now uses her online profile to “keep pushing the sport of tennis forwards”.
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