British star Julie Page on right road after horror crash

NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - A few years ago, Julie Page was being pulled from the wreckage of a potentially fatal car crash fearing she may never walk again, let alone play basketball.
 
A few weeks ago, she was crowned British Basketball Player Of The Year and now she stands on the verge of representing her country at an Olympic Games made even more special as host nation.
 
Roller-coaster ride is a term which abjectly fails to do justice in describing what has happened to Page during recent times.
 
The horrific car crash in Italy still etched painfully on her mind, it's been a long journey back to health and has also been the biggest challenge of her life.

"Basically as we drove round a bend into a crossroads, another car ploughed into the passenger side door of the hatchback I was being driven in,” explained the forward.
 
“The other car impacted at about 60 km/h and after the accident, the hatchback I was a passenger in was totalled.

“I don’t really remember much of the accident but I remember my team-mate who was driving, screaming because she thought I was dead.

“I think I went into a state of shock as I kept slipping in and out of consciousness.

“I remember someone asking me if I could move my legs and this really frightened me. I was fearful that I would be unable to walk, let alone play basketball again.”
 
She continued: “I thought about my family. I remember the sound of the ambulance sirens and brief flashes of the incident like clippings from a movie reel.
 
“But all of the memories are difficult to put in any sort of coherent sequence.
 
“I remember more when I was admitted to hospital and given medical treatment. When I arrived my whole team was there as a fan of the club had driven past the accident and told them what had happened.
 
“They offered so much love and unbelievable support to help me in my recovery.

"After a week, my condition was getting worse so I had to go in for surgery.  The thought did cross my mind concerning my career, but once I knew I would make a good recovery and be able to play again I set myself a goal to return as soon as possible.
 
“And, when I set goals I make a habit of reaching them.
 
“After only three months I returned to the court wearing protective gear since the doctor told me it was still dangerous to play but I just had to try and help my team in whatever way I could!”

Such a frightening experience understandably had a profound effect on Page and, by her own admission, she could have never have imagined going from such a low point in her life and career to living the dream on the court.

"The crash in Italy was definitely a testing time in my life, not just in my career - both mentally and physically,” she said.
 
“I have never been in such a debilitating physical condition where I was unable to breathe comfortably, let alone being off the basketball court for so long.
 
“It was extremely difficult for me to stay positive and maintain focus.
 
“I couldn't imagine, looking back, that I would have the opportunity to play in the Olympics, let alone on home soil.
 
“But, I think my dream has only been made possible by the convergence of many different factors.

“The fact that I am still alive to compete, the fact that London was chosen as the host city after countless hours of work from the British Olympic Association and others involved in the bid.

"Not least of which, all the hard work put in by everyone at British Basketball. It’s not just players and coaches that make a dream like this happen. It’s a lot of hard work from everyone in the federation.
 
“When the women were relegated to Division B, the board worked so hard to put in an appeal to reinstate us to Division A thus keeping our Olympic dreams alive.
 
“We are truly one big team working hard towards a common goal and that’s London 2012!"

Of course Great Britain will be Olympic rookies when the action gets underway although, according to Page, they can draw serious strength from the way they thrived on their underdog status last year when they qualified for a major tournament for the very first time.

She said: “EuroBasket Women was a massive opportunity for the Great Britain women’s basketball team to lay the foundations for a successful Olympic campaign.
 
“It allowed us for the first time to compete at the highest level in Europe and garner some much needed experience and exposure.
 
“We over-performed in terms of expectations which is a testament to the talent, unity and commitment of the players and coaches.
 
“We performed at such high levels during certain spells in the tournament, and this experience has taught us that consistent excellence is the key to success.
 
“There were tremendous ups and downs during this journey and we were definitely left with the feeling of ‘what if’.
 
“But every missed opportunity provides us with the frame of mind that next time will be different,” Page continued.

"I believe this experience will prove pivotal when our time comes to step out against not only the best teams in Europe, but the best teams in the world and on the biggest sporting stage possible."

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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