What if instead of fear, anger and frustration you welcomed an injury as a gift? Back pain, yes please. Ruptured Achilles, bring it on. Broken bone, I’ll take 2.

Ok that’s a little extreme. If I asked you if you would like to get injured, obviously the answer is heck no. But life is not a video game we control. Injuries are a part of our lives.

In Ryan Holiday’s book, The Obstacle Is the Way, he quotes Seneca: “A good person dyes events with his own color and turns whatever happens to his own benefit.” This is the art of turning a seemingly bad situation or set of circumstances into an opportunity. It is NOT simply seeing the glass half full, it is flipping the obstacle on end, taking control and making your situation better going forward.

In the last 10 months Mercer Timmis, running back for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, has done just that…turning a season ending fractured leg into an opportunity.

I first met Mercer Timmis in his early adolescent years as a developing high-school football player. He went on to have an illustrious career with the University of Calgary Dino’s scoring the most touchdowns in Dinos history, named Canada West MVP and finalist for the Hec Crighton award in 2013 and was a 3 time CIS first team All-Canadian. In 2016 he was drafted 14^th overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, allowing him to follow his grandfather’s footsteps and carry on a family Tiger Cat tradition

Fast forward to September 4, 2017, the Labour Day classic between the Ti-Cats and Argonauts. After catching a short pass heading for the outside he got tangled up awkwardly by 2 opponents and heard his leg snap. His season ended in an instant. X-rays revealed a spiral fracture through his fibula that required Surgery. 2 days later he had 7 screws and a plate put in his fibula to secure his ankle.

I’ve always known Mercer was a resilient person. Persevering through obstacles in the gym and on the field now for several years. But it was this text he sent one day after surgery that impressed me most:

Coming back Stronger. Wow. In the heat of an intensely emotional couple days that interrupted his hopes and dreams, he reframes his situation and moves on. No wasted words on what could have been or what this injury took from him and no confusion on what is next in store. He CHOOSES to commit to being faster, stronger and more powerful football player because of his injury.

Maybe you don’t care about football, but such strength in the face of adversity is nothing short of inspirational.

This mindset made rehabilitation a cinch. Once his cast was removed, he was off to the races. Laser focused on the day to day actions needed to succeed in his mission.

A plan was put in place with projected timelines; mini goals within the overarching goal. His focus was on the process. Every day, for hours each day he was either in the clinic, the gym, the stadium for ice baths (and more treatment) or doing whatever he could at home. In his mind work ethic wouldn’t be the limiting factor for how fast he could heal. And it wasn’t. He exceeded expectations reaching milestones much faster than initially projected. By January, only 4 months after having surgery, he was back in Calgary working with his Strength and Conditioning coach ready to ramp up for the season.

Now 10 months after the injury and hundreds of hours of treatment and training later he has put himself back in a position to be successful on the field. I have no doubt the new version of Mercer Timmis, Running Back, is stronger both physically and mentally than he was before his injury. This is not yet a Hollywood ending, but it is a success story worthy of celebration and worthy of sharing.

So ask yourself, is there a challenge right now in your life that you can turn into an opportunity?

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.