Tatyana Kosheleva Begins Rehab After Knee Surgery

29-year old Russian outside hitter Tatiana Kosheleva is showing some small signs of progress in her rehab from knee surgery in March. The 6’3″ Russian National Team member, who plays her club volleyball for Turkish power Galatasaray, underwent knee surgery in early April after rupturing her ACL in a Champions League match.

Shortly after waking up from the surgery, Kosheleva posted a photograph from the hospital and struck an up-beat tone:

“Dear friends and everyone who supported and prayed for me, thank you all! Surgery was finished successfully and my recovery begins from this moment! Every time when we face difficulties and we overcome them we learn a lesson and gain experience which we can’t understand immediately. We strengthen our faith and open new opportunities! Recovery takes a lot of strength, discipline and joint efforts! Every sportsman who came over it knows… I wish myself pass this path courageously and with a smile! The God gives us what we can handle that means that I will overcome it! And I will be back! To my favorite volleyball!”

View this post on Instagram

Дорогие друзья, все,кто переживал за меня в этот день, волновался и молился!! СПАСИБО всем и каждому!!! Операция прошла отлично, и с этого момента начинается отсчёт моего восстановления! Каждый раз, сталкиваясь с трудностями и преодолевая их, мы получаем урок и опыт, не всегда понятный сразу…, укрепляем веру, а после открываем новые возможности! Период реабилитации и возвращения требует много сил, дисциплины и совместных усилий!! Каждый спортсмен, переживший это, знает… Я желаю себе пройти этот этап смело и с улыбкой! Господь даёт нам по силам, а это значит, что и это я преодолею! И вернусь!! Вернусь в свой любимый волейбол!! ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ Dear friends and everyone who supported and prayed for me, thank you all! Surgery was finished successfully and my recovery begins from this moment! Every time when we face difficulties and we overcome them we learn a lesson and gain experience which we can’t understand immediately. We strengthen our faith and open new opportunities! Recovery takes a lot of strength, discipline and joint efforts! Every sportsman who came over it knows… I wish myself pass this path courageously and with a smile! The God gives us what we can handle that means that I will overcome it! And I will be back! To my favorite volleyball!

A post shared by Kosheleva Tatyana (@kosheleva11) on Apr 3, 2018 at 11:13am PDT

Last Tuesday, she posted a video from a rehab session that saw her standing without a crutch and even bending her repaired left knee and holding in a limited squat position for a few moments. She tells the camera man that she feels good.

View this post on Instagram

power is coming 💪🏻🏋🏻‍♀️😂

A post shared by Kosheleva Tatyana (@kosheleva11) on Apr 17, 2018 at 2:14am PDT

The original estimated recovery time was 6 months, which would put her back at the end of, or shortly after, the World Championships this summer. Russia is currently ranked 5th in the world (the same as their placing from the last World Championships in 2014), though they finished just 9th at the 2017 FIVB World Grand Prix.

Kosholeva wasn’t included on the team’s preliminary roster for the inaugural edition of the FIVB Nations League, which begins later this month. She also didn’t play at the 2015, 2016 or 2017 World Grand Prix (the predecessor tournament to the new Nations League).

Kosheleva was named the Best Spiker of the 2014 World Championships in Japan, where Russia won gold, and earned the same award at the 2016 FIVB Club World Championship. Further, she was named the MVP of the 2015 European Championships.