Climber:
Angie Payne

Injury: Payne “sprained the crap” out of her ankle while bouldering at the CATS gym in Boulder, in 2008. (“Took a fall I’ve taken a hundred times before, and hit the pad wrong,” she explains). Payne wore a boot and did physical therapy for four weeks, and then started climbing again after cleared by her doctor. The pain was persistent, though, and an MRI five months later showed persistent bone bruising and loose cartilage.

Status: Payne’s back in the boot, hoping more rest time resolves things. “Surgery was mentioned as an option” she explains, “but the doctor thinks we should try a less aggressive approach first.”

In the meantime: “I'm working towards going to vet school,” says Payne, “so I guess I can use the downtime to study for the GRE.” And on the fitness front, she’s been looking into “one-legged training” options.

Moral of the story: Get a second opinion.