When a rugby league player misses eight consecutive rounds, has to undergo their first major surgery and is facing a brutal six-month rehabilitation journey, excited is not how they would describe feeling.
But, with a fair bit of injury experience under his belt, star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen attributes his perpetual positive mindset as a key factor in his healing as he aims to return to the Melbourne Storm pack by Round 1 of 2023.
“My first initial feeling was, I don’t know what it was, probably excitement,” Papenhuyzen shared with Jake Duke and Fox League.
“I think it was excitement in the fact that it’s a new challenge that I’m going to have to tackle and if someone’s going through a similar situation then I can help out.
“That’s something I’ve always been big on, is trying to be a role model for those coming through or those that are going through an injury.
“I was disappointed, I was definitely upset that I’m not going to play for the rest of the year, but it was a new challenge and one that I thought if I tackle with that attitude then it’d probably be a lot easier.”
His positive outlook is not something the fullback works on only during an injury bout. Boasting an Instagram page filled with inspirational quotes, Papenhuyzen discusses them serving as a reminder of where he’s been and where he is now.
“I really like quotes, obviously a motivation factor, but I also think they offer a bit of discipline. It’s something I’m pretty passionate about and something that gets me going.” He said.
“The ones about perseverance and resilience are the ones that I look back on at these times.
“It’s quite funny looking back when I first started posting quotes when I was still at the (Wests) Tigers and getting injured all the time there and I felt similar feelings.
“It’s sort of cool to look back on it - that’s how I felt at that time and that’s what I believed in.
“If I can reflect on those times and it got me through them then why can’t it get me through them now?”
Watch the full special ‘Ryan Papenhuyzen: The Rebuild’ on Fox League/Kayo, now.
