Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She shares her experience with us as she explores the world of sports.

Growing up in Southern California, lots of my friends were avid skateboarders.  They would perform tricks off stairs and railings, and conquer the steepest hills in town.  Needless to say, my friends would often get hurt as well.

Sometimes their injuries went beyond your average adolescent scrapes and cuts.  My friend Jon was once doing a skateboarding trick known as an ollie.  It's one of the simpler tricks, but he ended up landing on the side of his ankle.  This caused a crack down his lateral malleolus, also known as the ball of the ankle. He spent over a year in a medical walking boot (also known as a walking brace), which provided support to his ankle while it healed.  That skateboarding injury was no small matter.  Even now he experiences ankle instability and wears ankle braces for added stabilization when involving yourself in physical activity.

When participating in activities such as skateboarding, be sure to wear ankle protection and other protective gear such as knee pads, elbow pads and helmets.  You don't want to be stuck in "recovery mode" for over a year like Jon!  If you've injured your ankles during skateboarding or other similar activities, check with your doctor to see if medical walking boots or ankle braces can be used to help with your rehabilitation.