운동선수에게도 퍼플 하트 훈장(전투에서 부상당한 병사에게 주는 훈장)이 주어진다면 올림픽 금메달리스트 김연아 선수는 기필코 받았을 것이다.
“김연아 오른발의 신체 나이는 40대로 보면 된다”고 김연아의 주치의인 나영무(솔병원 대표 원장) 박사의 말을 중앙일보가 보도했다.
나 박사는 “18년 동안 시계 반대 방향으로만 점프하고 오른발로 착지하는 동작을 수없이 반복해서 스무 살 이후부터 김연아의 척추는 왼쪽 (정면에서 김연아를 보면 오른쪽)으로 10도 정도 기울어져 있다”고 말했다.
피겨스케이팅이나 야구처럼 한쪽으로만 회전하는 운동 종목 선수들은 척추가 휘는 ‘직업병’에 걸릴 가능성이 특히 큰데 김연아처럼 20대 초반에 많이 휜 경우는 드물고 또 이를 잘 극복해 낸 선수는 더욱 손에 꼽힌다는 것이다.
그 뿐만 아니라 발목·무릎·고관절까지 뒤틀린 척추에 맞춰 ‘리셋’이 되었기 때문에 은퇴 후에도 똑바로 서기 힘들고 하이힐을 신으려면 많은 시간이 필요할 것이라고 나 박사는 전했다.
그는 “김연아가 아프다고 해도 걱정하지 않는다. 의사 말을 잘 듣고 아무리 아파도 독하게 이겨 내기 때문”이라고 설명했다.
그 예로 심한 고통을 느낄 수 있어 남자도 맞길 꺼려한다는 혈소판 농축 혈장치료(PRP)를 이야기 했다.
지난해 9월 김연아는 오른발 중족골 미세골절로 ISU 그랑프리에 출전하지 못했다.
하지만 다행이 12월 크로아티아에서 열린 ‘골든 스핀 오브 자그레브’에서 총점 204.49점을 얻어내며 당당하게 1위를 차지했다.
현재 김연아의 컨디션은 약 90% 정도 회복된 상태로 알려졌지만 여전히 중족골에 통증 때문에 주기적으로 치료를 받아야 한다.
김연아가 피겨스케이팅 선수로서는 마지막이자 은퇴무대가 될 소치 올림픽은 부상과 이별하는 무대이기도 하다.
소치에서 금메달을 따낸다면 역대 세 번째로 올림픽을 연속 제패하는 선수로 이름을 올리게 된다.
은퇴 후 김연아는 국제올림픽위원회 위원의 꿈을 향해 노력할 것을 밝힌 바 있다.
(코리아헤럴드 김주현 기자 jhk@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 영문 기사>
Queen Yu-na out to steal the show for final time
If there were a Purple Heart medal for athletes, figure skating Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na would surely receive one.
This is not only due to her contribution to the sport, but also the scars she has accumulated over the years.
“The ‘fitness age’ of her right foot -- the foot she finishes her jumps with -- is in its 40s,” Na Young-moo, the head of Sports Orthopedics Rehabilitation for Life Hospital and also Kim’s physician for the past four years, told the local press last week.
Having to repeatedly jump in a counterclockwise direction and land on her right foot over the last 18 years caused Kim’s spine to slant about 10 degrees leftward by the time she was 20. Currently, she’s not able to stand straight and appears to always lean slightly to the left.
Furthermore, starting first with her foot, then her ankles, knees and hip joints, Kim’s body has been forced to realign to her crooked spine.
The injuries have affected the figure skating champion’s life in terms of footwear as well, as Kim finds it painful to wear heels due to the ache in her right foot. Her physician believes it will take years of post-retirement recovery before she can comfortably wear such shoes.
Although these sorts of injuries are somewhat inevitable and considered an “occupational hazard” for athletes, rarely do those in their early 20s suffer such a physical toll, according to Na.
He explains that it is even more uncommon for a young athlete to cope with the injuries and adhere to strict discipline to overcome them as well as Kim has.
Known for making quick and strong-willed decisions when needed, Kim has accepted painful treatments -- platelet-rich plasma injections -- that even men are reluctant to receive.
In September last year, the Olympic champion suffered a microfracture in her right foot and could not compete in the ISU Grand Prix.
In December, however, she put on a remarkable performance at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia, finishing first with a combined 204.49 points.
Currently, she is about 90 percent recovered but must still receive regular treatment.
With only a few days left until the competition, which will be Kim’s final act as a competitive skater, her war against the injuries is almost over.
If she claims gold in Sochi, she will have become only the third woman to win consecutive figure skating gold medals at the Winter Games after Germany’s Katarina Witt and Norway’s Sonja Henie.
Once she retires, it will be a new beginning for Kim.
The figure skating legend has revealed her dream of a career in sports diplomacy, already serving as an honorary ambassador for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
She also plans to pursue becoming a member of the International Olympic Committee. Currently, Korea has only two members -- Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee and former Olympic taekwondo champion Moon Dae-sung.
For now, Olympic medal or not, the Korean public is awaiting the figure skater’s safe return. Upon her return, she will be greeted with the warm welcome that a hero deserves.
By Kim Joo-hyun (jhk@heraldcorp.com)
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