Episode I ~ Lillian Connor, PTA
Rising From Failure: How Setbacks Have Shaped My Approach as a Clinician
In the world of adventure and exploration, few stories resonate with the power of resilience like that of Ernest Shackleton and the ill-fated Endurance expedition. Shackleton’s dream of crossing Antarctica was crushed when his ship became trapped in the ice, leaving him and his crew stranded in one of the harshest environments on Earth. But Shackleton didn’t just accept defeat—he recalibrated. One long, wakeful night pacing the ice, he shifted his focus: instead of reaching his destination, he would make sure all of his men returned alive.
That lesson—pivoting when dreams slip out of reach—has become a cornerstone of my own life. After over a decade of working toward my dream of captaining a commercial fishing vessel in Kodiak, AK, I faced a similar moment of reckoning. Two seasons of grueling economic hardship forced me to shut down my fishing business. My goals seemed to be slipping away, yet I knew that failure wasn’t the end. It was an opportunity to adapt.
I’ve learned that failure is never permanent. It’s a chance to change course and redefine success. For Shackleton, it was about the survival of his crew. For me, it meant pivoting from commercial fishing to travel physical therapy—a shift that will take me in a new direction this Spring instead of this Fall.
What Shackleton taught me—and what I’ve come to know through my own experiences—is that setbacks don’t make us weaker. They sharpen us, making us more adaptable and more equipped to face challenges. And this lesson doesn’t just apply to business or personal goals; it’s shaped how I approach my work as a clinician.
Each patient I encounter has their own challenges, goals, and dreams that sometimes feel just as distant as Shackleton’s Antarctica. Some will come to me after injuries, surgeries, or setbacks that make their recovery seem impossible. But I know from personal experience that the first step to healing is often adjusting expectations. When a path doesn’t work, we create a new one. It’s not about failure; it’s about the willingness to keep moving forward, to find the best course of action, and to always prioritize the most important goal—recovery and growth.
In my work, I strive to do for my patients what Shackleton did for his crew. I am here to guide them through the difficulties and adapt the plan when things aren’t going as hoped. Just as I’ve done time and time again, I remind them that setbacks don’t define us—they refine us.
And when we embrace that mindset, we become stronger, together.
Lillian Connor, PTA
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