Relentless positivity: How Alana Smith dealt with unexpected adversity as an athlete
Needless to say, when graduate student Alana Smith of the NC State women's tennis team was told she'd have to forgo her senior season in 2022 due to injury, she was shocked.
However, nearly a year and a half later, Smith's experience with adversity has become a part of her journey as an athlete, a part that she wouldn't take back no matter how tough it was.
However, it was a different story for Smith. While she had to persevere, she was forced to do it while cheering on her teammates from the sidelines and learning how to live without playing the sport she loves. While it wasn't easy, a determined mindset and a dedication to staying positive kept Smith afloat throughout the time that she was injured.
"So I feel like last year for me, I tried to stay positive," Smith said. "I don't think I was my normal self last year because I was down at certain times, but I think that by staying positive … now I'm getting to where I want to be."
Fast forward through many months of rehab, hard work and countless hours waiting until she could get back on the courts in her final season, Smith is back and better than ever.
Throughout the regular season, she looked like she didn't miss a beat, and added even more to her already impressive resume to secure her place as one of the best players in program history. Smith reached the 100-win mark in singles with her straight-sets win against Virginia Tech, on senior day, no less, making her the second player in program history with 100 singles and 100 doubles wins.
https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/relentless-positivity-how-alana-smith-dealt-with-unexpected-adversity-as-an-athlete/article_d0671358-de5c-11ed-aa42-8fe8945a564c.html
Needless to say, when graduate student Alana Smith of the NC State women's tennis team was told she'd have to forgo her senior season in 2022 due to injury, she was shocked.
However, nearly a year and a half later, Smith's experience with adversity has become a part of her journey as an athlete, a part that she wouldn't take back no matter how tough it was.
However, it was a different story for Smith. While she had to persevere, she was forced to do it while cheering on her teammates from the sidelines and learning how to live without playing the sport she loves. While it wasn't easy, a determined mindset and a dedication to staying positive kept Smith afloat throughout the time that she was injured.
"So I feel like last year for me, I tried to stay positive," Smith said. "I don't think I was my normal self last year because I was down at certain times, but I think that by staying positive … now I'm getting to where I want to be."
Fast forward through many months of rehab, hard work and countless hours waiting until she could get back on the courts in her final season, Smith is back and better than ever.
Throughout the regular season, she looked like she didn't miss a beat, and added even more to her already impressive resume to secure her place as one of the best players in program history. Smith reached the 100-win mark in singles with her straight-sets win against Virginia Tech, on senior day, no less, making her the second player in program history with 100 singles and 100 doubles wins.
https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/relentless-positivity-how-alana-smith-dealt-with-unexpected-adversity-as-an-athlete/article_d0671358-de5c-11ed-aa42-8fe8945a564c.html
