A senior on the Riverview High School girls weightlifting team is back on the platform after an injury that took far longer to diagnose than anyone expected. Annika Davis broke her ankle hiking in Romania, then pushed through the pain for nearly two years before doctors discovered three torn ligaments. Surgery followed, along with a missed junior season, and a long stretch of watching her Lady Rams teammates from the sidelines.
This season the story has a different ending. Davis returned to competition and posted personal-record lifts in her first meet back, a result head coach David Catalfino frames as a story of resiliency. Her best friend and teammate, Poppy Proudlove, has been part of that journey as a steady presence and rack partner, and the team’s bond has been a big part of what carried Davis through recovery.
Davis and the Lady Rams compete against Booker High School this week, and her message to anyone facing a long recovery is straightforward: keep going, keep pushing, and be there for the team around you. The Suncoast knows a thing or two about perseverance, from storm seasons to long summer training runs, and this one fits right in.
Do you have a recovery story or a teammate who kept you going? Share it with us.
