Not again. How can this have happened again? One incorrect placement of her leg made junior Rayna Turnbo’s life a spin of pain and nerves. This wasn’t a dream and this wasn’t the first time. This was a reality that Rayna could not have wanted. Especially when so much was on the line. The thought
that this time it would mean a total end to her passion was the worst part of all.

It was like any other day, Dance 2 was practicing how to do Russian leaps when the accident happened.

“The class was just starting to learn how to do Russians,” Turnbo said. “And since I got them down I just started being all goofy, while wearing tennis shoes, and I got careless. The next thing I know, I’m on the ground and can’t get up. It was as if my leg was glued to the floor.”

The girls that were in the room started to crowd Turnbo as Coach Russell ran to her. Turnbo said everyone, including the coach, was in a frantic state.

“I was concerned because I didn’t want it to be worse than last time,” Russell said. “I didn’t want her to miss all the plans we had coming up.”

Turnbo had injured her knee before, last November around Rider/Old High week. At that time instead of getting surgery and a proper MRI she went straight through rehab. Her knee never fully recovered.

“I kept thinking that I might’ve done something much worse this time and so I got really nervous,“ Turnbo said.

Coach Brown was called down to see how much damage was done and it was decided that she needed to go home.

“I called my mom and by that time I started sobbing,” Turnbo said. “I mean it was hard on my family the first time especially because they knew just how much I love dancing and the thought that I hurt myself again made it worse.”

The next day turnbo got an MRI and the doctor confirmed that she had demolished her ACL, which meant that she would have to have surgery, wear a long leg brace, and use crutches for the next few months.

“It was really, really rough,” Turnbo said. “I mean it was great that I had to get the surgery because this time my knee was actually repaired but the thought that I can’t dance until almost next fall was heartbreaking. Dancing has been such a huge part of me for a long, long time, and it’s
become a part of who I am.”

And although her team members have also had a hard time dealing with their family member being injured, they still believe that she will come out from this and be back on her feet in no time.

“We know that she tries to be strong,” sophomore Peyton Tally said. “And even though she sometimes shows how much it hurts her, she still keeps pushing forward, not letting this bring her down.”

Rayna says she just can’t wait to be back up and doing what she knows best. Dancing.

“It’s just my way of expressing myself, it’s the definition of who I am,” Turnbo said. “ This whole journey will definitely make me stronger and not just in dance but in life. I had a lot of ‘what if’s’ but now I feel more safe knowing that I will be fully recovered and won’ t have to hold back.”