Blazing Trails 5K Aims to Raise Awareness for Brain Injuries
By Will Bauer, Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media
May 7, 2019, 4:25 p.m. ·
The Blazing Trails for Brain Injury 5K race and one-mile walk aims to raise awareness and money for Nebraskans with brain injuries.
The Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska is sponsoring the third annual event in June. The alliance hosts support groups, advocates for legislation and educates the public about brain injuries.
A board member of the Brain Injury Alliance, Sharon Royers, has dealt with brain injuries first hand. She got a simple concussion by hitting her head on a cabinet, but her condition worsened. She eventually retired from her job as an elementary school principal.
Royers said 30% of concussion patients have symptoms three months after the injury. She also said women take longer to recover than men.
“It really is important because we estimate that there is about 36,000 Nebraskans that live with brain injuries," Royers said. "It’s not always, but often, is an invisible injury and people don’t really understand it or the effects it has on people’s lives."
It’s been five years since Royers hit her head. The Blazing Trails for Brain Injury race will be the first one Royers will run since the injury.
The event will be on Sunday, June 9 at Zorinsky Lake Park in Omaha beginning at 6:30 a.m. To register for the race, visit the Brain Injury Alliance's website.