Athletes
Road To Recovery: Natalya Diehm
“The feeling of riding - being back on my bike again - is just unparalleled. There's no real way to describe it other than absolute euphoria. It seems a bit cliché but... it feels good to be back.”
Natalya Diehm is a 25-year-old Australian Olympic Freestyle BMX rider & LSKD Athlete.
Starting at the age of 8-years-old, Natalya had her first knee reconstruction at just 16 years of age. In 2021, Natalya ruptured her ACL for the 5th time landing a backflip during her first run at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Natalya defied odds and soldiered on to complete her final run, placing 5th at her first games. After returning home, Natalya came out of quarantine into yet another surgery, and was given an expected 15 months of recovery; the longest time she has ever been off the bike.
We wanted to share Natalya’s journey behind the recovery of her 5th ACL injury, and highlight her incredible determination, self-belief, and mindset to get back on the bike and chase the vibe. Injuries can be the make or break for a lot of athletes, especially for those who have had as many as Natalya. But one thing is for certain, Natalya wasn’t going to give up.
“I don’t define myself as Natalya the BMX rider, but it’s a lot of who I am, and I feel so lost without riding. it’s not going to break me this time… I’ve still got more to give”
– Natalya Diehm
Join us as we recount Natalya’s journey and her first ride back after 15 months recovery.
LSKD Presents: Road To Recovery: Natalya Diehm