I herniated L4-5 on the right side right around the time I graduated college. It actually forced a shift in career paths from firefighting to physical therapy (I start PT school in June). I had the discectomy done, but that was before I knew what I know now. The surgery helped eliminate the pain in the back, but from what I’ve learned it sounds like I’m lucky.
I’ve begun front squatting and deadlifting again. I hit 275 for a single on the front squat on saturday, and deadlifted 385 with a trap bar a couple of weeks ago. I don’t currently plan on resuming back squats, and my back was more sore than I would like it to be after trying some sumo dls a few days ago.
I am still reminded daily about my back, generally just tickles of discomfort. It’s probably for the best so I remain motivated to maintain my core strength and technique while lifting.
To answer the original question, Derek Poundstone is a WSM competitor and he hernaited a couple of discs and is currently one of the top strongmen in the world. I also played football with a guy in highschool who herniated L4-5, had the discectomy, played college football and is currently a trainer. He just had an article on sprint training posted over on EFS.
Core stability, strength, and lifting technique will all go a long way in helping you do what you want to do.