From injury to silver medal: the bumpy road to recovery

Four months ago I was sat in a sling feeling very sorry for myself, so I thought it was time to fill you in on how I went from that to competing in the European Coastal Rowing Championships last week, and coming away with a silver medal.

Why the impact of an injury goes beyond inactivity

There is never a good time to break a bone but falling off my bike and snapping my collarbone in May really felt like a really terrible start to our Atlantic rowing campaign.

My plan was to defy medical advice and to make a swift recovery, but after 4 weeks an x-ray showed the bone was badly displaced, and I was advised to take rest more seriously.

This made me very angry and miserable.

I realised how much I rely on exercise to quieten down self-critical thoughts, and for the endorphins to lift my mood. I really missed the social side of rowing, especially when I couldn’t drive. My partner went on our much anticipated windsurf holiday on his own. To be honest I spent a lot of this summer feeling pretty lonely.

Recovery in baby steps

It was world mental health day this week, and for anyone feeling a bit lonely, this is just a reminder that even small amounts of physical activity can make a huge difference – especially when they have a social element.

I started to get up early every morning to go for a walk and made friends at my local coffee van, Brontes.

I spent time some bonus time with my parents – and actually let them look after me for a change.. thanks, Mum and Dad!

My weekly minutes of intensive exercise dropped to zero in June, then I I threw myself into exercise but I did too much too fast – and had to take a complete week off before I tried again.

An audacious goal

Going to the European Coastal Rowing Championships in Turkey last week was a VERY stretch goal. I had only rowed with my crew for a paltry 6 hours since May BUT I had been cycling on a turbo trainer most days under the guidance of sports scientists at the university of Kent. I still can’t do a single press up, or pull up, but I can pull pretty strongly.

We competed with 20 other women’s quads from 8 countries, 7 of whom also raced in the masters category. (with crews aged over 43.)

After a storms delayed the start, our 4km heat went amazingly well, and we qualified for the Final. The sun was shining, the surf was up and it felt amazing to push ourselves to our limits.. We finished 7th overall and 2nd in the Masters category, winning a silver medal.

Although we didn’t top the podium, I felt as though I had won the lottery to have had the opportunity to travel with my amazing crew for the last few days, and to be able to compete at a high level.

Almost back to baseline.. and then we build...

So to cut a long story short, after a long slog, I’m on the mend. My fitness is not quite back to where it was, but I feel more determined than ever to keep getting fitter, faster, and stronger.

For anyone who has been injured recently, it sucks and I really do empathise. I found that with an audacious goal and tracking my progress – every step forward has become a new cause for celebration, and gratitude. If we feel as though we’re enjoying the journey, where we get to doesn’t really matter.

Sophie Bostock

Dr. Sophie Bostock is a leading sleep scientist, TEDx speaker, and TV expert with a PhD in health psychology. She has represented Great Britain in coastal rowing, canoed 2,000 km from Canada to Alaska, and rowed around Great Britain for the British Heart Foundation. Her pioneering work explores the link between sleep, stress, and peak performance — making her a unique force in the world of endurance sport.

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October 29, 2025 Vicki Anstey