Kyli Cole always had dreams of competing at the collegiate level, and she made that dream come true.

Kyli Cole always had dreams of competing at the collegiate level. A gymnast since she was 3 years old, the Wasilla High School student went into her senior year highly competitive and looking for a future in collegiate gymnastics.

Then, injury struck. She dislocated her shoulder during a practice, and worried that those dreams would never become reality. Her family reached out to Dr. Gregory Strohmeyer, who had seen her for past injuries, but this time, he was in surgery, and not immediately available. So, she connected with his colleague, Dr. Jimmy Shaha, who specializes in sports medicine with an emphasis on problems from the shoulder to the fingertips.

“From the very first time we met, we have had so much in common,” Kyli said. “He had formerly worked with a collegiate gymnastics team, so he was able to understand what I was talking about. He understood the time and commitment I have to gymnastics and that I still wanted to go to college for my sport.”

After the first MRI, Dr. Shaha said she was in the clear – a “unicorn” because it was very rare to see a dislocation with no tear involved.

“Our hopes were that with lots of rehab, I should be back,” she said. “I was still having pain in my shoulder throughout my senior season, so we had decided to follow up and do another MRI. During this MRI, we discovered there was a tear in my tendon.”

But, as is often the case with athletes, Kyli wanted to finish out her senior season, and Dr. Shaha – an athlete himself – understood.

“Dr. Shaha was a major factor in me finishing my senior season and qualifying for regionals,” Kyli said. “By doing tons of rehab, I was able to finish my senior year strong and commit to a D1 college to continue my dreams of gymnastics! After my season was over, we decided to get surgery, where he walked me through every step, so I knew what to expect during surgery and after for rehab. I was very comfortable telling Dr. Shaha where I wanted to be after surgery, and he really took the time to listen and understand that I have many years of gymnastics to come.”

Kyli just finished her freshman year studying and competing at the University of Anchorage Alaska. She continues to rehab her shoulder to keep future injuries at bay and says she is excited for the coming years ahead.

At Pioneer Peak, we understand that competitive sports isn’t a goal for every Alaskan but for those who are passionate about playing at the highest level, our providers are dedicated to treatment options that will make a difference. 

We are so glad to have been part of the team that helped Kyli keep her dreams of college sports alive and look forward to watching her compete.