18/03/2012 12:00 AM Vanessa Boslak: “Aspetar helped me excel and give up retirement plans” Doha, Qatar (March 18, 2012): French athlete Vanessa Boslak dedicated her 2012 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships silver medal to Aspetar and its medical staff in recognition of the treatment, surgery and great rehabilitation care she received following a long period of inactivity. “I was about to quit athletics. Some people advised me to do so, but I was very determined not to give in to despair. Assisted by my coach and Aspetar’s medical staff, I eventually managed to overcome my injury,” Boslak said. The athlete started to face trouble following a cruciate ligament rupture in the left leg on March 27, 2009. She came to Doha after she had undergone an unsuccessful surgery and treatment in France and Germany. During her week-long visit to Aspetar between November 29 and December 5, 2010, the French star athlete had to undergo surgery by Dr. Philippe Landreau, Chief of Surgery and orthopedic surgeon at Aspetar. "I went through hard times. Many surgeons in France were reluctant to treat me before the world-renowned Dr. Philippe Landreau accepted to handle my case,” Boslak added. Commenting on the surgery, Dr. Philippe Landreau said: "Vanessa had undergone three surgeries which did not help to restore her to fitness before she came to Aspetar.” “The surgery she underwent at Aspetar was a highly complex procedure, but we had no other options. We were successful, and we are very delighted to give her the opportunity to once again compete at the highest level. It is important to say that Vanessa’s strong determination was crucial to the success." The Frenchwoman expressed gratitude to the medical staff at Aspetar. "Words are not enough to thank Aspetar’s medical staff and officials. Special thanks to Dr. Hakim Chalabi and Dr. Philippe Landreau who provided me with maximum care and assistance at a critical time when I was about to put an end to my career. So, I dedicate this medal to them as well as to Aspetar,” Boslak said. Aspetar CEO Dr. Khalifa Jeham Al-Kuwari congratulated the French athlete on winning silver in the pole vault. “The key element that enables an athlete to make a successful return to competition lies in his/her ability to combine surgery and injury management with physiotherapy and mental concentration, and this is what we try to provide at Aspetar,” Dr. Al-Kuwari said. Vanessa Boslak, who won ninth place at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, sixth place in Athens 2004 Olympics, and third place at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Santiago, now looks forward to standing on the podium at the upcoming London 2012 Summer Olympics. Most recently, Vanessa Boslak won a silver medal and set a French record of 4.70m during the women's pole vault final, with Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia clinching gold, at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships in Istanbul on March 11, 2012. --ENDS--