The Official Site of Misty May

Sat, Nov 8th 2008, 14:51

Misty is down but not quite out

It’s now more than a month since her left Achilles tendon ruptured while rehearsing for a “Dancing With The Stars” routine called the jive, and Misty May-Treanor is in an upbeat mood even though her ambulatory needs still are aided by crutches, a wheelchair, or a four-wheel scooter.

“A couple of more weeks, and I’ll be able to put a little pressure on the foot,” she says. “But right now I still need help.”

Lest you think Misty May-Treanor is feeling sorry for herself, or is cursing her misfortune, forget it.

She is on the phone from Corral Springs, Fla., where she resides part-time with her husband, the Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor – they also maintain a home in Long Beach – and she is philosophical about her injury that resulted in her and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, having to depart “Dancing With The Stars” in which they had scored well in the first two shows.

“It was just a freak accident, but things like that happen,” says May-Treanor. “It could happen to anyone. It could happen to a person stepping off a curb, or climbing up a set of stairs.

“I think what happened to me is that my body was too tired, had just had enough. I had been going, going, going, the entire year – and I guess it just caught up to me.

“I never gave it a rest. I played all those matches on the AVP tour and overseas. And then went to the Olympics, and that was a grind. And then I got back, played more AVP matches, and then started dancing. I never took a break. I probably over did it.”

Misty May-Treanor, who won her second straight Olympic beach volleyball gold medal with partner Kerri Walsh in Beijing, insists she’s actually savoring her inactivity.

“Why should I be depressed?” she asks rhetorically.

“Injuries happen when you engage in physical activity. And, believe me, dancing isn’t easy. It’s far more strenuous than people might think. I used totally different muscles than I did in volleyball.

“Look, I actually feel fortunate that, if I did have to get injured, it happened when it did. What if it had occurred before the Olympics, or even during the Olympics? I’ve been pretty blessed with the way my career has gone. I have no complaints.”

Misty May-Treanor enjoyed her “Dancing With The Stars” experience.

“Oh, I had a lot of fun on the show, and I hope they ask me back again,” she says. “I discovered I loved to dance, and I was getting better at it. We were getting pretty good scores, and were set to return for a third time.”