Bucknell University Athletics
Carol Donohue Recovers from Injury to Etch Her Name in Bucknell Record Books
5/11/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
May 11, 2010
By Cynthia Iselin '12
Program record holder for assists, program record holder for points, Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week … all after suffering a torn Achilles tendon at the end of the fall last season. That is what Bison lacrosse senior Carol Donohue did to defeat the odds in an astonishing comeback this spring.
Donohue tore her Achilles tendon during the off-season on the last day of conditioning, but made no hesitation in rehabilitation and returned to finish this season with a bang. This spring season, Donohue surpassed both the Bucknell career points and assists marks during her dominant nine-point afternoon in a victory over Howard on April 11. She is only the sixth player in school history to surpass 100 goals, and she finished her career with 107 goals and 78 assists for 185 points.
However, Donohue isn't a newbie to success. In 2007, she started in every game at attack and tied for second on the team in scoring. She earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors and was a two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week in 2008, when she obliterated the single-season team records for assists (36) and points (71) in a season. She then had a point in every game and a goal in all but one in 2009, bringing her within just 10 of the all-time Bucknell scoring record by the end of her junior year.
Then came the injury, and the scoring record that once seemed like a given became shrouded in doubt.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Carol and hear about how she was able to overcome her injury and come back strong, breaking the program record for points.
Q: What was your reaction after the injury? Did you think you would be able to come back as strong as you did?
A: My first doctor told me it was a six to nine month recovery. And then it didn't hit me that it was over. I found out it wouldn't be over the next day—the longest day of my life. I went to get an MRI and talked to another surgeon who said it would only be three to four months.
Q:Can you remember a specifically trying time after your injury and how did you manage to get through it?
A:The drive home was the most difficult time of my life, thinking that I was never playing again. And I just got through it by going to sleep and crying [laughs]. It was really hard.
Q:What can you attribute to your comeback and where you are now after your injury?
A: Definitely my surgeon, since he took a more aggressive approach to it. He told me that from the beginning, because most surgeons plan for six to nine months, but he was used to dealing more with athletes.
Everyone else was so supportive; my coaches let me miss practice for PT, if not I would have had no time in the day at all. My parents have been my number one fans from the beginning, but they also made me realize that my health comes before sports. They definitely made me settle with it a little easier. All my teammates were unbelievable during the whole thing. I'll never forget when I had my first goal back. It gives me the chills remembering their faces.
Q: Did overcoming your injury affect your mindset as an athlete now and did it affect your comeback?
A: It definitely made me grow up in a way that I didn't know I had in me. It also made me settle with knowing it was ending in a few months.
Q: How did it feel the break the program record for points and assists, especially after your injury?
A: It's definitely pretty cool after thinking that I wouldn't even be back on the field. It was really awesome seeing how everyone else was pushing it. The day that it was about to come was really funny. People were feeding me the ball like crazy. My coach was sticking me behind the net, running the same plays over and over just to try to get me to get it.
Q: When you saw that 180th point go into the net, what were you feeling?
A: I actually don't really know. At the time it just felt like another one. It didn't really hit me. Looking back I think it's just pretty cool that I'll be able to be in the history books.
Q: I can tell lacrosse is obviously your passion. What do you plan to do with it when you graduate?
A: I'll coach all summer. I'm going to do a bunch of camps and actually coach a travel team. And then I'm hoping to coach during grad school as a grad assistant.
