The story is a personal account of what it means to sustain a concussion as an athlete. It draws on current medical and scientific research to help readers, particularly athletes, understand the short- and long-term risks of concussion. The purpose of the story is to explore what it means to risk one’s health and wellbeing in pursuit of athletic achievement — and ultimately to demonstrate to readers that the stakes may be indeed too high. Though much has been written about concussion and the frightening outcomes in professional football and hockey players, I felt that none of these stories had really addressed the very difficult decisions an athlete has to make about his or her athletic career and health following a concussion.
