By Caroline MacGillivray, Brigitte Schmittlein, Abigail Simon

The Athlete: Peyton Manning
The Sport: Football
The Accolades: Super Bowl champion, SB MVP, four-time NFL MVP
The Injury: A damaged nerve, resulting in weakness in his right arm and requiring multiple neck surgeries, forcing Manning to sit out for the 2011 season
The Recovery: Signed with the Denver Broncos in March 2012; Manning is the second ranked quarterback in the league; Broncos are ranked first in the AFC West

“I’ve never taken for granted what we’ve had, not for one single game, not for one single practice.”
-Peyton Manning

The Athlete: Serena Williams
The Sport: Tennis
The Accolades: Four time Olympic gold medalist with 30 Grand Slam titles
The Injury: Left foot damage followed by a pulmonary embolism
The Recovery: 2012 US Open champion; London 2012 Gold medalist in singles and doubles; 2012 Ladies’ Wimbledon Champion (her fifth title at the tournament)

“One of my doctors said, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t play again.’ I said, ‘You’re not me.’…I like having a challenge, and this will be my biggest challenge yet.”
-Serena Williams