Carli Fox learned a lot about the people who care about her while using a wheelchair to get from point A to point B.
The Bishop Eustace Preparatory School sophomore simultaneously broke the tibia bone in her leg and partially tore her anterior cruciate ligament in October 2024 during her freshman soccer season.
“It all happened in one play. I just fell wrong,” Fox said. “No contact. I went to go shoot and fell.”
The reality of how difficult things would be started revealing itself.
“I wasn’t able to walk,” Fox said. “I was in a wheelchair. No pressure on [the leg]. No nothing. It was very traumatic to my body.”
Fox missed the remainder of the soccer season and the entirety of the 2024-25 basketball season. The injury even made minor tasks like getting to class extremely difficult.
“I had classes upstairs. So they moved all my classes downstairs,” Fox said, adding that her friends helped, too, pushing her wheelchair and carrying her bookbag.
The wheelchair was the first step of a long recovery that took nearly a year. Fox’s best friend, Scarlett Daloisio, did the bulk of the pushing when it came to getting Fox to her classes on time. The two also joined the school’s chess club despite not knowing how to play. It acted as a stress reliever.
Then the physical work began, and Fox hit the weight room.
“It was a catastrophic injury,” said Sal Racobaldo, Bishop Eustace basketball coach. “I was worried she might not even be back this year. But she’s worked really hard in the weight room to get stronger, and you can see [that] it’s really starting to pay off.”
Fox is still making up for lost time, especially on the basketball court. Medically cleared in July, she was able to return to play soccer in the fall. She contributed a pair of goals and six assists, as the Crusaders went 9-11-1. In basketball, she’s still finding her footing and attempting to crack a very talented Crusaders’ starting lineup, especially at a guard position where the Crusaders are loaded. But Fox is supplying valuable minutes in a somewhat limited role as that journey continues.
“I’m really working toward it,” Fox said. “I want to be in the starting lineup. I want to do the [pregame] handshakes and everything. Hopefully by the end of the season, I’ll get there.”
Fox had a breakout game on Jan. 19 with a career-high 11 points off the bench in a 54-42 victory over Egg Harbor Township. It could be a sign of things to come.
“She’s still hobbling a tad, but she anticipates better than anybody on the team,” Racobaldo said. “She has a good feel for the game, and once she gets back, she really makes us a tough team. I’m really proud of her and so happy to see where she’s at right now.”
It has been a long journey, both physically and mentally, Fox said. “You just have to keep thinking. ‘I’m going to get there. I’m going to be even better than I was before the injury.’ It builds you up mentally. It teaches you that you can go through anything.”
Having a healthy Fox in the lineup the next few years is a luxury for an already-talented program.
“I could play with seven point guards,” Racobaldo said. “You need people who can really handle the ball. It makes my life easier. But she’s going to be a really special player.”
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