If he didn’t get injured at the NORCECA Continental Champs, Gavin and Canada might have had the chance to put up a great fight against eventual champions from Team USA.
In an EXCLUSIVE interview, the Canadian Opposite shares to Volleywood what really happened and how it all started.
“I stopped playing after the first game (NORCECA Champions).
I was diagnosed with tibial stress syndrome earlier in the summer. The reason why I was missing at the 2013 World League and played so minimally when I came back.
They told me it just needed some rest, so I took the rest but still had some problems, though I thought it was better and improving. Before we came out here (NORCECA Champs) I got an X-ray just to confirm it was getting better but the results were bad.
It showed a bad stress fracture on the anterior of the bone and multiple other micro fractures, we say a surgeon out here, he X-rayed it again showed the same, said surgery was the best option and I had to stop playing or I could end up like Kevin Ware…
So we got lucky and the surgeon snuck me in very early and try put a tibial nail in me, it’s like a rod down my shin bone, if I am not mistaken Giba had the same or similar procedure.
As for the procedure…
“Not my favorite thing to happen to me, but they knocked me out for it and gave me enough drugs I had no idea what was going on so it’s all good.
They had to use some staples instead of stitches, I think it’s cool haha.
His recovery…
“I am doing well, I am out of bed rest and moving around, can put a little weight on it. Just ever so disappointed I won’t be joining my team in Izmir as soon as I thought. I was so excited to go. But it’s a part of an athlete’s life.”
Despite missing the 2013/2014 club season with this Turkish club team Izmir, Gavin remains in good spirits. In case you didn’t know, Izmir has replaced him with Finnish spiker Urpo Sivula.