Visiting Martigues last night to watch his teammates play, Lucas Soldner talked about his terrible stroke which took place during the match against Ajaccio. A tragic event from which the player recovers fairly quickly.
Well, first question, how are you after this terrible stroke against Ajaccio? Is it better?
Yes it's better. It was terrible what happened in Ajaccio. I was scared and everyone on the team was scared. But it's much better and I'm gradually getting back into shape. So it's cool.
How is your recovery going? Are you recovering physically and mentally?
Mentally I'm okay because I'm happy to be alive. I am in the Mulhouse rehabilitation center and the doctors are taking excellent care of me. I started running again at the rehabilitation center, running, weight training and everything, but at low intensity.
Because the blood must not rise too quickly to the head and my heart rate accelerates too quickly. So physically, I'm recovering too, it's just the speaking that made it complicated. But I take speech therapy sessions every day, it's the biggest job there is to do.
When will you be able to return to the field?
I don't know yet… I have an appointment in February with the doctor who operated on me and he will give me more information on the continuation of the rehabilitation. But I'm recovering, afterwards, I don't know if it will be for this season or next season.
I hope I can play again. That's what motivates me, that's what helps me get through it every day and I want to play with this team again.
-Was it a shock for you and your entire team?
It was hard because I was really with the team. We were on top. The group is cool, I had fun with them and I think I was at a level that I had never reached before.
We were second in the championship and I was the first passer in the championship, so there was everything that worked for me a little and this stroke was a hard blow. Just before the holidays, leaving the team like that, it sucks, but afterward like that. I'm alive, that's the most important thing, so I'm happy to just be alive. Now I will do everything to recover as quickly as possible.
I imagine that you have received messages of support from your teammates, from the club. That must have helped you in this ordeal?
Yes, the teammates, the club, the city and even all of volleyball France. They supported me. I couldn't read all the messages because I was in the hospital and I wasn't able to read, write or speak.
But my mother and my sister read all the messages to me. It was indescribable support. The club, the managers, the teammates and the whole of France volleyball meant a lot to me.
It touched me enormously. Now, I am motivated like never before to bounce back, start fresh and start playing volleyball again to help the team.
