Nov 22, 2016
Yoga To The Rescue

At Gonzaga University, Jordan Roskelley offers a class in yoga to help athletes become more flexible, making them less susceptible to injury.

According to The Gonzaga Bulletin, Roskelley suffered stress fractures due to injuries sustained as a pole vaulter at the University of Oregon, and he took up yoga while recovering. After graduating, Roskelley got a job at Gonzaga teaching a pilot yoga program six days per week.

“I got an unlimited month pass at a studio [in Spokane],” Roskelley said. “I wasn’t doing much, just starting to transition. Then I started going four, five, six times a week and I started to notice that my back didn’t hurt anymore and my range of motion increased. I wasn’t getting injured running and doing the biking I like to do. I felt so much better and stronger. From there, I just dove into it.”

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Zach Collins, a freshman basketball player at Gonzaga who said he felt the need to “try everything” his first year at the school, said he enjoyed it and has become passionate about yoga.

“It’s something I know that athletes do all over the world so I guess I just take it really seriously,” he said. “Every time I go into yoga, I’m sweating by the time I’m done. I just try to do it as hard as I can. I definitely like it and I can see that it helps me a lot.”

Przemek Karnowski, a senior, said that doing yoga helped with recovering from a season-ending injury.

“I feel like my body functions a lot better after I do yoga,” Karnowski said. “I think it helps me get back to my old self before the injury. When I dive on the floor or go to my move I don’t have to worry about overextending my back and I think that’s key for me just to be able to trust my body throughout the game.”




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