Four months after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, former BYU basketball star Richie Saunders was celebrating a big milestone.
"Today was my first day running," he said on May 20. "I've been waiting to be able to do that."
Prior to his injury, Saunders thought this spring would look very different.
Instead of spending hours in physical therapy and rehabilitation, he expected to be preparing for the NBA draft after completing one of the best seasons of his basketball career. Instead, a torn ACL changed those plans.
Now, as the draft approaches later this month, Saunders and his wife, Sierra, find themselves in a new season of life that they didn’t expect.
Their house is up for sale, a move is likely on the horizon, and neither of them knows where they'll be living next month.
"Honestly, this is just all exciting, good stuff," Saunders said. "I wish I wasn't hurt, but that's the reality. I just have to face that and attack that. I’m excited for this next chapter and to get some stability back."
These days, much of Saunders' routine revolves around rehab, and preparing for the next step in his basketball career. A few weeks ago, that process took him to Chicago for the NBA Combine.
For many players, the combine is an opportunity to compete in drills and scrimmages in front of NBA scouts and executives. For Saunders, the experience was more unique.
"The biggest thing is the interviews," Saunders said.
Instead of showcasing his game on the court because of injury, he spent much of his time meeting with teams, answering questions and introducing himself to NBA decision-makers.
"This has always been my goal," Saunders said. "The reality of it set in about, I'd say within the last two years of being like, OK, this is actually something I can do and I'm going to do."
Saunders spent weeks working with his agency, practicing answers and preparing for conversations with NBA teams. His sister, who has experience with interviews and public speaking, also helped him prepare.
For the Saunders family, the NBA combine represented another step toward a goal Richie had talked about for years. Now he was sitting down with teams and preparing for the possibility of hearing his name called on draft night.
Richie’s father, Rich Saunders, said, “It would have been easy for anyone to say, ‘This is where I’m at, I’m only going to get this many minutes a game,' or whatever it may be. But he doesn’t settle for any of those things. He looks at where he wants to go and he methodically works at it.
“He doesn’t just expect somebody to give him something or for the pathway to be just cleared for him. He’ll pay whatever price is necessary to be able to get where he’s trying to go.”
Sierra was with her husband throughout the NBA Combine trip, helping him navigate a process neither of them had experienced before.
“We’re so new to this,” she said.
The couple spent two weeks in Chicago, splitting time between physical therapy appointments, agency meetings and combine activities.
Richie said Sierra also supported him when it came to keeping a positive perspective throughout the trip.
"My wife was there with me, and she helped me remember that being there was a great thing," he said. "She helped me to see that this is a great accomplishment."
With his injury limiting what he could do physically, Saunders said it was easy to focus on the things he wished he could control.
"It's easy for me to wish I could do certain things," he said. "But I have to be content with where I'm at and have excitement for the present."
After interviews, the two would talk through how they went, review questions and prepare for the next day.
"It was nice," Sierra said. "After an interview, him coming back to the hotel and being able to kind of digest what happened. It definitely was not a super glamorous trip."
There were opportunities to explore the city, she said, but most days revolved around basketball.
"When we learned about the interviews, I realized that's such a huge part of it," she said.
When Richie first got hurt, a lot of the NBA process suddenly felt like it was out of their control. The combine interviews gave them something they could actually prepare for.
"When there is an injury, you feel so hands off,” Sierra said. “But I think this was really good for Richie and for me to feel like, OK, we’re actually able to do something. If he can have a good interview, that impacts our future."
The injury has also affected Sierra in ways she wasn’t expecting.
“I think it has strengthened our relationship a lot,” she said. “It’s definitely probably one of the hardest things we’ve gone through together.”
She said the experience has required a different kind of faith than either of them anticipated. While they've seen what she called "tender mercies" throughout the recovery process, many of the things they've been hoping and working toward are still ahead of them.
"Richie is not in the NBA yet. He's not on a team yet. He's not playing basketball again yet," she said. "But we've had great experiences and lots of faith that those things will happen."
Now they're back to waiting.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23 and 24, and neither of them knows exactly what life will look like after that.
"We have no idea where we're going," Sierra said.
She laughed before adding, "It's a little stressful, but it's true."
For Sierra, the uncertainty goes beyond just where they may be moving to next.
While Richie waits to find out where basketball might take him, Sierra is finishing her master's degree in marriage and family therapy and preparing to become a therapist.
"It is interesting being in this role because so much of what we do is based off of Richie’s future career,” she said. "It’s an ongoing process of figuring out my own purpose. I love being Richie's wife but I'm also more than just that, and Richie wants me to be more than just that.”
As they prepare for this next chapter, she said she’s also figuring out what her own future will look like.
“I think it's going to be a challenge for me,” she said. “But I also think it's going to be a great opportunity for me to really figure out what I like to do and make new friends. I feel optimistic and excited for the challenge.”
Even with so many unknowns, she said they’re excited for what’s ahead.
"I think we're both ready for this next chapter," Sierra said. "Let's just go and do this thing."
The last few months haven't gone the way either of them expected.
When Saunders suffered a torn ACL in February, his mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario.
"My initial thought was like, no this is it. I'm done," he said. "I guess this is the end of my career."
Instead of dwelling on that feeling, he and Sierra decided to give themselves a short window to process what had happened before moving forward.
"We said we're going to be sad for two days," Saunders said. "Forty-eight hours came and went and then we woke up and it's like, all right, let's attack this thing. We’re hitting this thing with all we got."
One conversation from that difficult time has stayed with him.
The day after his injury, Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Susan Bednar, visited him.
Before the meeting, Saunders said he was frustrated and struggling to understand why everything had happened the way it did.
"I was angry," he said.
During the visit, he remembers Elder Bednar asking him a question that changed his perspective: "Is this going to be a lesson or a curse?"
The question stuck with him.
"It helped me quickly realize that God didn't just do this to me," Saunders said. "Sometimes stuff just happens in life, and I’m going to learn from it. I’m going to learn the things I need to learn from going through something hard.”
That conversation helped his focus change from why the injury happened to how he was going to respond.
Through the recovery process, Saunders said he has felt supported by people throughout the BYU community.
"The prayers I’ve received from people is something I've felt in a way that I've honestly never experienced before,” he said. “I attribute being in no pain, even post-op to the prayers of people. I have a lot of gratitude for that."
The injury was difficult for everyone around him.
In the stands, Sierra knew immediately something wasn’t right. Usually, she said, Richie would bounce right back up.
Right when Saunders fell to the ground, someone found her in the crowd and put an arm around her.
It was Maddy Baker, whose husband, Dawson Baker, had suffered a torn ACL earlier that season.
“It’s going to be OK,” Sierra remembers her saying.
A short time later, the trainers called Sierra down to the locker room.
When Richie was injured, his parents, Rich and Lisa, were sitting in the arena. They also suspected immediately that something was wrong.
A few minutes later, they met Richie in the training room.
"He kept saying over and over, 'How is this possible? How is this possible?'" Rich said.
He said it was difficult to watch his son process the reality of what had happened after spending years working toward this time in his life.
"It was a difficult role to play as a dad," Rich said.
As the months have passed, however, Rich said he has been impressed by the way his son handled getting injured.
“There were times when I would be so frustrated with the situation that I would want to sit with him to get my frustrations out and talk about things, but he absolutely refused to engage in any negative conversations,” Rich said.
That mindset is something Rich has seen throughout Richie’s basketball career.
"He has embraced this different pathway beautifully," Rich said. "He's been optimistic. He has made an early decision that he will not dwell in pity. He will look for the pathway through to still achieve his greatest dreams."
Rich remembers Richie talking about wanting to play basketball at BYU when he was young. After accomplishing that goal and making an impact on the Marriott Center floor, the conversation eventually turned to the NBA.
As draft night approaches, Rich said it has been rewarding to watch another one of his son's dreams move within reach, but he also has other hopes for him beyond the court.
"My lifetime goal for him is not to become an NBA player," Rich said. "My lifetime goal for him is to be a very responsible, kind and loving and effective human being. And in the big picture, one that is worthy of his temple covenants in his faith.
"The way he treats his wife, the way that he develops and nurtures a family, the way he treats his mom, and other relationships ... those are the things that are lasting things," Rich added.
For now, the draft is circled on the calendar, but the future remains wide open.
As he waits to find out what comes next, Saunders said the last few years have given him far more than basketball.
"The growth on and off the court that I've experienced is in a very unique way that only BYU could help me do," he said.
He is grateful not only for the opportunities he has had at BYU, but also for the community that supported him along the way.
"Things have worked out better than I could have ever hoped for," Saunders said. "I'm in a position where I'll play in the NBA. I’ve always wanted that to be reality, but I didn't understand how."
Wherever basketball takes him next, Saunders said BYU will always be part of his story.
"The BYU community is incredible and something I'll be grateful for for the rest of my life," he said. "Wherever I go, there's BYU fans."
The last few months have also taught him personal lessons.
"I'm going to trust in God and that He is in charge," Saunders said. "I often feel like if I can just do more and more, then I'll get what I want. But in this case, it's a different lesson. I've had to learn to accept the path that God needs me to be on and stop trying to control everything."
Wherever their journey takes them next, Sierra knows one thing for certain.
"If I'm going to bet on anyone," she said, "I'm going to bet on Richie."