In 2016, Ben Frederick, a pro bike racer in San Francisco, was at the top of his sport when he had a devastating crash and suffered a severe concussion and traumatic brain injury. For years after his crash, he experienced lingering symptoms for years after: “It was an inflection point, where everything I had worked for was stripped away and the dream of pro cycling was replaced with learning how to be a human again," he says. "After my traumatic brain injury, I struggled with depression and anxiety which took root in an eating disorder that hospitalized me. My road to recovery and acceptance began when I was able to look my monsters in the face and learn to live with them.”
Because he knows firsthand the impact that these injuries can have in both life and sport, Frederick started a non-profit, The Small Monsters Project, committed to elevating the conversations around TBIs. This September, while on the national cyclocross circuit of bike races, Frederick will lead clinics around the Northeast for youth cycling teams to raise awareness about head injuries and mental health. This will be an opportunity for kids and families to talk about the impact and seriousness of this injury in sports.