As LSU track and field holds its regular season finale this weekend, one thrower is back in full swing less than a year out from a devastating injury.

Leah Acosta is about to complete her first full season with the team as a redshirt freshman after her collegiate debut was cut short in 2024. She had competed in shot put for three indoor meets before her life changed in an instant.

On Feb. 27, 2024, Acosta was crossing Nicholson Gateway on an electric scooter when she struck a piece of metal debris. The scooter’s tire was wedged under it, and she was thrown into the middle of the crosswalk.

“I was super embarrassed, so I got up and I started walking,” Acosta said.

Through shock and adrenaline, she was making her way back to her apartment when the pain set in and Acosta looked down to see the trail of blood she was leaving behind.

Now slightly grasping the severity of her injury, she called her trainer to pick her up and survey the damage.

It was then Acosta discovered the source of the bleeding — an open fracture in her right ankle, where the broken tibia had pierced through the skin.

She was immediately rushed to hospital, where she eventually went into emergency surgery. Ultimately, Acosta broke her tibia and her fibula in the incident.

For a week, an external fixation stabilized her foot before surgeons could go in again and place 12 screws and a 10-inch plate.

Doctors told Acosta her specific injury could take two to five years to fully heal, and for an athlete who had never even suffered a sprain, that was difficult to accept. Yet, Acosta never imagined she’d be ready to compete in 10 months for the 2025 season.

“There was a moment there I thought, ‘I just got here, and I’m gonna be done forever,’” Acosta said.

Physical therapy started then and there – non-weight-bearing for three months and six months of regaining the ability to walk and jump.

Acosta was driven by the will to compete again one day, but first she had to focus on walking again and performing simple, everyday tasks.

“I came to the realization that competing might not be in the books for a while, so let’s just try and get some normality in my life,” Acosta said.

She had a long road to recovery ahead of her, and with her family out west in Odessa, Texas, and her teammates traveling to competitions, the loneliness was hard to manage.

Where she found strength was at church, specifically Christ the King Chapel on LSU’s campus.

“That was a blessing in it all,” Acosta said. “I met a really good missionary there, and she would invite me to everything. She was so willing to come pick me up, take my big old knee scooter everywhere and visit me.”

There, she found new faith and friends, which helped her get through the mental challenges of recovery. Acosta grew up Catholic, but it wasn’t something she fully practiced until her accident.

“When I got to college, and after my injury, I really decided that this is what I want to pursue,” Acosta said.

Along with crediting her swift rehabilitation to faith, Acosta is thankful for her trainers and the medical staff at LSU who were with her every step of the way.

She was cleared to start practicing again last fall, and as her mobility improved, Acosta began to realize she had a fighting chance at getting back into the field.

After a grueling 10 months, Acosta threw in the first away meet of the season – less than a year out from her injury date.

Now at the tail end of her first outdoor season, Acosta has not only made her way back into competition, but is at the top of her game.

Acosta made her discus debut in March, throwing 51.88 meters or about 170 feet, which put her into the top 10 performances in LSU history.

Currently, Acosta is focusing on patience and not being hard on herself considering that just a few months ago, she couldn’t walk.

“You don’t really think these things will happen to you until it does,” Acosta said.

She has adopted this into her new approach to life: take nothing for granted.

Now, Acosta leads a team bible study at her church and is closing out her comeback season on the LSU track and field team.

She stands as a reminder that while injuries happen, it’s the mind – and the spirit – that decide how far you can go.