TRAINING IS ‘WHAT I DO’
Teenager with bones broken by a car wreck didn’t let it break her spirit, as she re-learned walking via training regimen.
In 2009, local high schooler Rachel Hyneman was involved in a car accident after which she had to learn to walk again.
“I was in the hospital for three weeks and had lots of surgeries,” said Hyneman, now 18, of Eads.
She broke both femurs, her left tibia and her back, and had a large laceration on her right shin.
Now with titanium rods, pins and screws throughout her body, and hours of hard work, Hyneman, a senior at Briarcrest Christian School, is up and at ’em.
“I had a lot of therapy to do,” she said.
At first, she learned how to bend her legs again due to leaving them outstretched for months while her bones healed.
She progressed to a walker while being allowed to put pressure on only one foot, and eventually graduated to crutches and putting pressure on both feet.
Once she could walk with some stability, Hyneman hooked up with a personal trainer at a gym in Collierville where she slowly worked on getting back her strength and stability.
“I didn’t have any muscles,” she said. “I had these chicken legs.”
Eventually she found BIOMechaniks, a gym in Germantown that specializes in rehabilitation in addition to its other personal training services.
“I really started to see a difference,” she said. “It’s more individualized and one- on- one, and so I’ve ended up working harder here.”
She meets with trainer Mario Myles each week to work on more calisthenic-style exercises to develop her balance, agility, strength and especially accuracy.
“I’m a teenager, so I’m not educated on fitness. This training has changed my outlook on fitness and has helped me realize the importance of doing things right,” she said.
Since her journey began over three years ago, Hyneman has made a full recovery.
“I can do whatever I want now,” she said.
And she’s lost the baby fat she gained from being sedentary during her recovery.
“I’ve lost l i ke 20 pounds,” she said.
Since making a full recovery, Hyneman doesn’t see herself retiring her workout clothes anytime soon.
“I used to be a cheerleader before the wreck, and I was into sports when I was little. Now I train. That’s what I do,” she said. “It’s something to do after school, and it makes me feel better about myself. It’s a good stress-reliever.”
“Now I want to build my endurance and tone a little more,” she added. “There’s always room to get better.”
Have you lost weight and kept it off, adopted better eating habits, started exercising or had success living a more healthful lifestyle? E-mail your story to sunyata00@gmail.com.