Jesse Heussner ’11
Features Editor

Formally a star of the Staples gymnastics team, Charlotte Black ’11 is now the leader of a new team: the injured athletes club.

Black, who hurt her neck before the state championships last year, is no longer able to compete for the Staples team because of her injury. This unfortunate set of circumstances provided her with the idea to start the injured athletes club, a safe haven for athletes who are in similar situations.

“I was so devastated after realizing that I could no longer compete in the sport that I loved,” said Black. “I realized that there were other people in the world with tragedies just like mine, so I decided to create a club for all of those people that felt lost after they were told they could no longer do something they were good at.”

After sustaining her injury, Black thought she would be able to compete the next day. However, the injury turned out to be much worse than what she initially thought. Charlotte tore two ligaments in her spine and had to be in a neck brace for three months.

“The emotional part of the injury was the hardest,” said Black. “I think the reason we started this club was to help me cope, and to help other people that had been through something similar to what I had been through.”

Black has still tried to stay involved in gymnastics, but watching was too difficult.

“I volunteered to help little kids, but it was too hard for me to be in the environment knowing that I was no longer allowed to do it,” said Black.

Right now, the club consists of supporters of injured athletes brainstorming to come up with new ideas to help each other out. However, the hope is for the club to expand and become something bigger. Black has talked to a physical therapist that has expressed interest in helping, as the clubs future goal is to help out underprivileged kids who cannot afford training after getting injured. Everyone is welcomed to join.

“You do not have to be injured to be in the club. If you are interested in helping out or know someone that has been through something like this then by all means join,” said Black.

The injured athletes club has already generated a lot of support, as the new club has already amassed 18 members in a short period of time. As Black likes to think of it, it’s like “the team that will always be there.”