Q&A with a sports physio turned author

Bulli local Jess Cunningham is a Titled Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist, author of POP, When Sport Brings Us to Our Knees AND mum of three kids. We interviewed Jess about her debut book, in which Australian athletes share their stories about anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Tell us about your first book.

POP shares the stories and reflections of 13 elite Australian athletes and their ACL injury journeys. It hopes to act as both a conversation starter and valuable resource to anyone who is going through the ACL recovery process, as well as their support network (physios, surgeons, parents, friends).

What inspired you to write the book?

The idea for POP was born when I was faced with time on the sidelines of working in professional sport after starting my own family here in the Illawarra. I wanted to be a present mum, and knew that for a period of time at least, I would no longer be able to travel internationally for work as I had previously. I wondered what I could still do that would be unique and of value to my profession.

Having worked for over a decade following the winter seasons with national teams and athletes from Australia, New Zealand and the US, as you can imagine I had encountered plenty of ACL injuries in my career. Of these, however, there were two particular athlete experiences that always stood out in my mind. These athletes were slopestyle skiers Anna Segal and Russ Henshaw, who I helped compete successfully at the Sochi Winter Olympics with just one intact ACL between them.

Their amazing stories (and a good dose of thinking time thanks to hours spent on the couch breastfeeding) planted the seed for POP.

What is the biggest takeaway the book provides?

The purpose of POP is not to argue that there is one best way to manage an ACL injury, rather it highlights a variety of athletes' stories and scenarios in the hope of offering inspiration and education about the rehabilitation journey ahead for anyone who has suffered their own ACL injury, or is involved with the rehab of those who have. Ultimately, it aims to act as a conversation starter between healthcare professionals and ACL patients (and their parents!), to ensure the best decisions are made regarding optimal injury management.

Do you have any preventative advice for ACL injuries?

There has been much great research conducted around the world on many sport-specific injury prevention programs that have been proven to reduce the likelihood of ACL and lower limb injuries from occurring by around half in all athletes, and up to two thirds in females. That's a significant risk reduction!

And all that is required is regular completion of a simple 15-minute exercise program! The problem is that many people just don't know that these programs exist. To try to combat that issue, I have provided links to these programs (for netball, AFL, rugby, soccer, and 30 other Olympic sports) in POP, in the hope that parents, coaches and the athletes themselves might start to become more aware of their existence, and ensure they are being incorporated into training sessions.

Even completion of the programs at home has shown to be effective in reducing ACL injury risk.

What's the best advice you were given as a parent?

To trust your gut, and try not to listen to anyone else's advice!

For more information and to buy POP, When Sport Brings Us to Our Knees, visit Jess Cunningham's website