Grabbing Recovery By The Horns: The Rehab

We continue our series that highlights RGVFC striker Aldo Quintanilla’s recovery from a preseason knee injury.

RGVFC are moving into the middle portion of their 2019 USL Championship schedule. With Michael Salazar signed to the first team Houston Dynamo, the Toros only have Carlos Small on their roster as a true striker. Another player that was expected to compete at that position is continuing to work his way back from a major injury.

Previously, we revisited the injury itself and his surgery. Now, we look at the true rehab portion of his journey. Following the aforementioned procedure, Aldo needed to begin the task of getting on his feet. Despite being a professional athlete, a simple ride on the stationary bike felt like a big win. “I was very excited,” Aldo said. “It was very painful at the beginning, but it was improving. I felt like I had to learn to walk again. It was very emotional.” Following the surgery, it took three weeks for Aldo to walk without his crutches and six weeks to do so without his knee brace.

Obviously, with any rehab as a professional athlete, the training staff is a key player in this production. For RGVFC, athletic trainer Randi Lininger is tasked with keeping or getting the Toros players healthy. She has worked closely with Aldo to recover from his ACL injury, over 12 hours a week together. Randi said, “Aldo has been working extremely hard to recover from ACL surgery. He does rehab and conditioning daily with me at the stadium as well as a supplemental home exercise program.”

The respect and admiration are mutual. Aldo explained, “Since Day 1, she’s been such a great help. I have trusted her and she’s done an amazing job helping me throughout my injury. The Toros are lucky to have such a person working for them!”

Like Randi, head coach Gerson Echeverry has served as a major proponent for Aldo. “Gerson has been the same, very supportive, and always being positive,” Aldo shared. He added that Gerson has worked to incorporate him into the team for certain things during his rehab.

The injured striker watches every match and will someday be back with his teammates and scoring goals at H-E-B Park. It will be a glorious day and the result of hard work, dedication, and teamwork.