“It’s been five years of frustration.”

Kelsey Kane summed up her college experience in six words.

The fifth year senior suffered from Compartment syndrome, a physical condition involving pressure buildup within one’s muscles, throughout much of her collegiate career. For Kane, that meant temporarily giving up running, something she loves most in the world.

A distance runner for Tennessee’s track and field division, Kane had been running since her sophomore year of high school. Having to stop training and let her body heal was one of the most difficult seasons of her life.

“I missed running, but I missed being with my team the most,” Kane said. “It was hard to see my team travel and have success and not be around them and not be able to support them as much.”

She said not being able to celebrate with her team’s success was one of the lowest points for her, but the experience has not left her short. She said the injury left her with the ability to help others going through similar difficulties.

“It has made me a better leader,” she said.

Kane’s parents helped her through that difficult season, just as she now works to help her teammates. Kane said an injury takes an emotional toll on any athlete and her parents were a unique asset for her in her darkest moments.

“I stayed at home for a long time and they helped me out a lot,” Kane said.

“Being athletes, they knew how hard it was for me not to be able to walk, let alone run.”

Kane said her parents led her through some decision making as well.

“It was helpful having them as coaches, knowing some of the steps to take and know who to call for therapy,” she said.

Kane’s mother, Missy (Alston) Kane Bemiller, is a Lady Vol Hall of Famer, 1984 U.S. Olympic distance runner and coach of the university’s 1990 SEC Cross Country Championship team. Her dad, Jim Bemiller was a former men’s vault coach at UT who coached 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack among others.

Track and field coach J.J. Clark said he’s known both of Kane’s parents for quite some time and sees them as great role models in her life.

“She’s very blessed to have a family like that,” Clark said.

Kane’s parents weren’t the only people involved in her years of recovery. Clark said he wasn’t sure she would ever be able to run again.

“That was very hard, very painful and, at points, very emotional early on,” Clark said. “She was in a lot of pain, to the point where I didn’t know if she would be able to run again.”

But Kane managed to come back and said that this season has been her best yet, both statistically and physically. And the season isn’t over yet.

“I know how much I’ve had to overcome to get here,” Kane said. “I’m not gonna give up now.”