2013 Bulletin

Spotlight Corner Sports Concussion: An Interview with Kevin Robinson, BMX Professional and NAN Foundation Board of Trustees Member Eric Rinehardt, Ph.D., ABPP Department of Neuropsychology, Carolinas Rehabilitation, Charlotte, NC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL Michelle Mattingly, Ph.D., ABPP Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL Kevin Robinson, also known as "K-Rob," was a professional BMX rider for 23 years. During his career, he competed in 18 X Games and won numerous medals including four gold medals, while thrusting himself into the air as high or acrobatically as possible on his bicycle. At 41 years-of-age, he excitedly admits that, "I rode a little kids bike for a living…a pretty awesome job!" His occupation and passion, however, was high-risk and had consequences. K-Rob has undergone over 40 orthopedic surgeries and suffered too many concussions to count. After a particularly gruesome accident while training in San Jose, CA, K-Rob found himself seriously injured in what he describes as, "a concussion and mild coma for 2 hours." K-Rob goes on to explain that "I couldn't speak right for 2 weeks" and "I suffered short-term memory loss." Fortunately for K-Rob, he lived near neuropsychologist Ruben Echemendía, who evaluated and treated his post-concussive symptoms. K-Rob recounts that Dr. Echemendía taught him relaxation techniques as well as educated him about the brain and how concussions can impact thinking; components he feels were essential to his recovery. K-Rob adds that, "I wish I did testing 10 years before I suffered so many concussions already," and wondered just how much cognitive ability he has lost due to his multiple concussions. He readily admits that "I still suffer from short-term memory loss today." Despite these obstacles, K-Rob has persevered and turned his struggles into another passion – motivational speaking and public awareness about concussion. Kevin is currently a NAN Foundation Board Member and travels across the country speaking to youth about topics such as bullying and action-sports safety. He states, "If I didn't have a helmet on for so many head-hits, I wouldn't be here today." K-Rob also encourages his own children to practice safety and reports "My son doesn't get on his bicycle without a helmet." His personal aspiration as a Foundation member is to offer his insight from an "I actually lived it" perspective on head injury – to give his take on what it's like to suffer short-term memory loss, and to wake up from an injury not knowing where you are. He fervently expressed a need for greater awareness of the effects of head injury in all sports, not just those that get the most attention, such as football. "In the past we've had guys knocked out, and the next day they're trying to compete again… and no one had any awareness of what the risks were and didn't understand it." K-Rob has also used his influence to found the K-Rob Foundation, a Non-Profit Organization that seeks to encourage children in his hometown of East Providence, Rhode Island to become involved, and remain active in athletics. Through this organization, K-Rob aims to encourage perseverance, goal setting, and overcoming adversity by assisting deserving families remain active in healthy, lifestyles via the safe practice of sport. He has furthered extended his mission into a company, Grindz, which sells pants with hidden knee, hip, and tailbone pads, so as to remove any excuses for not wearing safety gear. With a long career in BMX, riddled with several physical and cognitive injuries, K-Rob knew going into this year's X Games he was going to retire from competitive sport. He anticipated his next competition in Brazil with subsequent games in Spain, Germany, and California, would be a way to end on his own terms. "I'm probably on my victory lap here," K-Rob said and added, "I'm tired of crashing." In Brazil, however, K-Rob found himself in a familiar situation. He crashed and sustained another concussion. K-Rob was put on a stretcher, his neck and head immobilized, and taken to the hospital where he wondered if his career was to end before his intended curtain call. Ultimately, K-Rob did take his final roll down the quarter pipe in Los Angeles without incident and walked away from competition on his on his own two feet, and into his new passion for motivating youth, encouraging the safe practice of action-sports, as well as commentating for the X Games. As a little retirement gift for himself, K-Rob will be getting a much-needed hip replacement this October. http://espn.go.com/video/ clip?id=9534888 When asked what he wanted to share with the neuropsychology community, K-Rob said, "It's all about following your passion and your dreams. Everyone has their own path, and their own destiny, life is one big journey, and enjoy the ride." *Kevin was interviewed via telephone on 3/8/13. Bulletin vol. 27 no. 2 | 31

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