Athletes in contact sports such as hockey and football have been linked to traumatic brain injuries, but Bobby Renaud wants people to know it's not just limited to that group.
Renaud, a retired American air force pilot, is crisscrossing the continent on his motorcycle to promote the cause as well as a book written by his good friend and brain injury survivor Steven Hirst.
Hirst, also an American air force pilot, was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, when he was in a car crash in 1998. While driving home from the grocery store, he hit a piece of black ice and crashed into a telephone pole.
It was a relatively low-impact collision that barely damaged Hirst's car but the force of the crash was still enough to put him in a coma for six weeks. After a second coma he was able to regain some of his motor skills but can still only walk short distances.
The book, titled Still Standing, chronicles the 14 years of his recovery and aims to both inspire those with the condition and educate others about it.
Scientists are just beginning to explore how athletes can contract traumatic brain injuries from repeated head contact in sports, but Renaud said the disease is becoming more prevalent among the general population.
"People are slipping the tub, slipping in the shower and hitting their head or they're out doing active sports like canoeing and they fall and hit a rock or whatever it is," Renaud said. "They're getting these brain injuries at a dramatic rate. It's almost an epidemic of brain injuries."
Hirst collaborated on the book with editor Anni Ryan, a high school friend. Hirst, who used to fly F-15 fighter jets, wrote emails to himself along his recovery journey and Ryan helped syntheses those into a book. She also conducted interviews with brain injury experts to add context to Hirst's condition.
In the book, Hirst wants to emphasize the need to treat those with brain injuries as equals.
"People with (tramautic brain injuries) may look different than we are, but there are still people inside there and we need to treat them with respect and speak to them," Renaud said. "Steve is the same person but he's trapped inside this body that just doesn't quite work."
The book is currently available on the Fans of Still Standing Facebook page and is expected to be listed on Amazon.com later this month. An e-book version is also in the works.
Renaud, who met Hirst when they were students together at the Air Force Academy in 1977, is retracing Hirst's career and visiting all of his friend's former U.S. bases. He was in Prince George on Wednesday as he makes his way up to Alaska to what turned out to be Hirst's final posting.When he arrives he plans to conduct a ceremony at the pole Hirst hit 14 years ago.
