Battling back from adversity is a trait of true champions.
Twelve months ago, the track career of Rebecca Camilleri seemed in jeopardy after she fractured her tibia plateau during training at the Mediterranean Games in Turkey.
It was a bad injury and few had thought at the time that long jumper and sprinter Camilleri would succeed in getting back into shape.
But some athletes are made of a different mould and Camilleri belongs to that group.
The recovery process was slow and at times painstaking but she was soon back in competition after winning her battle against all odds.
Last month, Camilleri delivered a clear sign that she was back to her best when she leapt to a new national mark in the long jump.
Camilleri, who celebrates her 29th birthday today, cleared 6.41m and her record not only lifted her among the top 40 in Europe but also guaranteed her a place in the Maltese selection for the Commonwealth Games.
The long jump record was not the only indication that Camilleri had put her injury woes behind her.
In fact, at a meeting in Marsa a few weeks back, she teamed up with fellow sprinters Diane Borg, Rebecca Sare and Rachel Fitz to clock 46.88 seconds in 4x100m relay to obtain the Minimum Qualifying Standard set by the Maltese Olympic Committee for the Commonwealths.
“It has been a long road but I’m delighted to be back practising my favourite sport and achieving such good results,” Camilleri told The Sunday Times of Malta.
“When I suffered the injury 12 months ago I thought my career was over. I’m not a teenager and, honestly, I didn’t think that I could come back from that bad episode in my career.
“However, I found a lot of support coming from different quarters, in particular my boyfriend Federico and my family.
“They all urged me to start again. Setting the target of competing in Glasgow this month was a great incentive. As the weeks went by, I became more determined not to miss out on the selection.”
Camilleri said she needed to take tough decisions not to fall behind her schedule.
“At first, I was told that I needed at least a year to recover completely,” she said.
“However, 12 months is a long time so I spoke with sport physios in Italy and they helped me a lot to get back on my feet.
“In February, I took part in a 60m race and that was the start of my comeback.
“Then, came the big moment in April when I completed my first long jump event. There were no repercussions and it was at that point that I realised the rehab was finally completed.”
Camilleri is now brimming with confidence and can’t wait to represent the country at the Commonwealths after placing second in long jump at the recently-held Euro Team Championships in Georgia.
“Naturally, it would be a great thing for me to produce my best and stay in contention in the long jump rankings in Glasgow but I’m not getting carried away,” the Pembroke Athleta girl said.
“I should first seek to make the final and if I reach that objective everything that comes after is a bonus. My best this year has been 6.41 but I would love to break into the 6.50 barrier.
“As regards the 4x100m we have a good combination and the girls are really great.
“But we know that in Glasgow we’ll be running against the best quartets in the world, including the likes of Jamaica, Bahamas and Great Britain.
“Advancing from the heat will be difficult but, perhaps, Glasgow will be an ideal scenario for us to set a new national record.”