Roberts injured his right knee during the first World Cup of the 2009 season in Mirabel, France in December. He remembers, "I overshot the landing onto the flats," resulting in what was originally a simple bone bruise. U.S. Ski Team's Dr. Vernon Cooley confirmed that it was in fact a more serious knee injury involving damaged cartilage, and subsequently performed micro-fracture surgery.
On the road to full recovery, Roberts is proud to have graduated from physical therapy, and anxious to get back into shape.
"Mentally, it always sucks to miss a year. I haven't missed an event in six years, so missing a whole season last year was tough," Roberts said. "I just want to get in shape, get focused, and go to the Olympics."
Including water workouts for his knee, Roberts has started an aggressive summer training regime at the Center of Excellence, which he considers to be "the best facility in the world."
Training five days a week and focusing on building his knee strength, upper body, and overall fitness, Roberts is determined to "get back into tip-top shape, be prepared for our summer camp in Chile, and then fall camps," and ultimately, "to peak in February."
While working toward the Vancouver Olympics, Roberts maintains a positive attitude by taking it one step at a time, concentrating on "remembering the big picture, and not looking too far ahead," and that in the end, February is his principle goal.
Roberts is optimistic about the success of the team going into next season. He sees the "young and talented" athletes as healthy assets to the team, as the older athletes help to "guide those guys to where they need to be."
Looking back at the 2006 Olympics, Roberts highlights how much the team has grown and become a solid group of professional athletes.
"We're a team. We compete individually, but we have that chemistry where it's not going to be guys rooting against each other," Roberts said. Thanks to this revived team spirit, Roberts foresees success in the 2010 Olympic events.
If he continues his tough training routine and upholds a day-by-day mindset, Roberts feels confident that next season will not be another missed opportunity.
"Just missing a year motivates me for the upcoming season," Roberts said.
With his summer schedule well underway, he is simply "excited to get to work and go win a medal."
