Seven hundred and nine days. Guro Bergsvand rattles the number off with ease, aware of exactly how long it took her to get back on the field for the Cal women's soccer team.

It was a Wednesday - September 9, 2015 to be exact - when the midfielder went down in a heap at practice. Affectionately nicknamed "The Viking" by her teammates – a nod to both her Norwegian heritage and tenacity on the pitch - Bergsvand went to turn in the center of the field. Her upper body went one direction, her right leg went the other.

"I had never really been injured before, but I knew instantly," recalled Bergsvand. "I don't really remember it being painful, I just remember being so scared. It all just flashes through your mind; the surgery, the crutches… I could picture the whole thing. The coaches were running over to me and I'm just laying on ground, saying over and over in Norwegian 'This isn't real. This isn't happening.'"

A torn meniscus and ACL in her right knee became the new reality for Bergsvand, undergoing surgery and setting her sights on a return for the 2016 season. However that January, just a few weeks off crutches and back to walking on her own, Bergsvand was home in Oslo, Norway for winter break when she slipped on a patch of ice her front door, fracturing the patella in her right knee.

More crutches. Back in the brace.

Bergsvand's doctors in the United States were not optimistic that she would be back in time for the fall season. Her physicians in Norway, Bergsvand only learned much later, were unsure if she would ever be able to play again.

Yet for Bergsvand, a die-hard Liverpool fan and member of the Norwegian youth national teams, it was never a question of if she could back, but what kind of player she would be once healed.

"I always knew I would be able to play again," said Bergsvand, "but I was scared that I wouldn't be good enough, that I wouldn't be the same player I was before the injury. Soccer means so much to me. I love playing it, I love watching it, and just being around it. I was most scared of losing that connection and of never getting to reach my potential."

So began the comeback process, working tirelessly to regain the strength she had lost in her right leg. Yet progress came slowly and every week it seemed to be the same answer from the doctors: not now, not yet, you're still too weak.

"It was hard being on the sidelines and it was really hard with my family so far away back in Norway," Bergsvand admitted. "I never wanted anyone to baby me and was always trying to stay upbeat for my teammates, but sometimes you just need to be able let those emotions out."

However, Bergsvand refused to return home, focusing on her rehab and eventually getting cleared to play with just a few games left in the 2016 season. While she did not see the field, her persistence was not lost on her teammates.  

"Coming back from injury is very difficult to get through mentally," explained redshirt senior Kelly Fitzgerald, Bergsvand's partner in the Bears defensive midfield. "It's really hard watching practice, watching games, and having your teammates out there without you. But [Guro] was always such a positive influence on the sidelines and a really good teammate."

Bergsvand continued to build her strength over the spring and the summer, regaining her touch and confidence as senior season approached.

On August 18, 2017, seven hundred and nine days from that seemingly fateful practice in 2015, Bergsvand finally returned to the pitch for the Golden Bears, starting Cal's season opener against UC Irvine. The senior tri-captain made her presence known with bruising tackles in the midfield and assisting the game-winning goal in Cal's 2-1 victory.

Bergsvand said it felt surreal to be back on the pitch with her teammates, playing free of any braces or fears.

"Being afraid wasn't an option," explained Bergsvand. "Tackling and being physical are such a big part of my game. If I were to lose that, it would change who I am as a player. I still have a ways to go to get back fully where I want to be, but I'm super happy with how well my knee is feeling and just so grateful to be where I am right now."

Her teammates are equally excited about her return.

"I love having [Guro] back on the field with me," said Fitzgerald. "It's so fun to play with her in the midfield, because she's so strong going into tackles and so passionate in the way she plays. Her mentality inspires me to always work as hard as I can."

On October 22 – Cal's senior day – Bergsvand will play the final regular season home game of her Cal career. Her parents – once told there was a chance she might never play again after her knee injury - will be flying in from Norway, watching in person as she takes the field.
 
After long last, Bergsvand is back.