It is very difficult to come back after a long absence. You loose business opportunities, customers and money. It is even worse in sports, where careers are short and high performance demands constant training.
History was written today with the return of Erick Abidal, Barcelona´s french defense who was absent from the field for more than a year; 402 days to be precise. Erick started receiving treatment for liver cancer back in 2011. In April of 2012 he went through a transplant. Today he played again, and trigger a long and noisy welcome from the fans of Barcelona in Spain´s largest stadium.
Coming back after such a health problem is a big achievement. Playing for what some consider the best team in the world in even a tougher achievement.Getting an ovation such as the one welcoming Erick demonstrated the respect and care for the human being playing for the team.
After the game, Abidal expressed his gratitude to the fans an to his cousin who helped donating the needed organ, and he encouraged people undergoing similar problems to never stop fighting to come back. You can read the story here.
Hope you find this story as inspiring as I do. Coming back after problems, whether health, economic crisis, bad decisions or whatever you name, requires great effort and spirit. Some are making it happen today, and they are coming for more!