Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Rachel Atkinson Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Rachel Atkinson A helmet saved my life Rachel Atkinson always felt at home on the slopes, skiing had been her passion since the age of four. In 2014, following Michael Schumacher’s tragic skiing accident, a concerned friend bought her a helmet as a present – the first time she wore it, it saved her life. “I was skiing in St Anton in Austria when the fall happened,” recalled Rachel. “It was the last week of the ski season and the conditions were challenging; icy in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. “Apparently I fell forwards, crossed my skis, and landed on my forehead with my arms behind me so all my weight went on my head.” Rachel was taken to hospital where she remained overnight under observation. However, it wasn’t until she was discharged the following day that she realised something was wrong. She said: “I was playing cards and became aware that I was unable to follow simple instructions. I knew things weren't right and I had to get more medical help. “When I got back the UK six days after my accident I went to the doctors and was diagnosed as having Post Concussion Syndrome.” Rachel, who is from Brighton, struggled to come to terms with the effects of her brain injury and the problems it was causing – which included short-term memory issues, fatigue, migraines, sensory overload and problems dealing with emotions. She said: “At first, getting through each day was an achievement. I tried to carry on working as Employee Relations Consultant full-time but I didn't recognise the severity of the injury and that I required rest. “My confidence took a big knock as well. It felt with one fall, I'd lost my intelligence. Where I used to feel smart and pick things up quickly, I found myself struggling and feeling thick. Rachel realised she couldn’t carry on working full-time and made a number of adjustments to help her cope with her new situation. She said “Little by little as the weeks and months passed, my brain improved and my confidence and humour slowly came back. “I work part-time now which of course has a financial impact, but my health is more important than money! “I now know my limits, and with adjustments and understanding, I am living a full and happy life. “I still get tired so I have Wednesdays off to rest and I also make sure to wear glasses and a baseball cap if I’m under stripped lighting. “For a while, I had to avoid busy clubs and festivals, but recently I've been to my first festival in three years – which was great.” Rachel received support from her local group Headway East Sussex and also found Headway’s website and its other online publications very useful. But she says the biggest thing that has helped her stay positive was her fitness levels returning to how they were prior to her accident – so much so that she has been able to take part in an impressive number of races. Since her accident, she has run ten 10k races including racing in the Arctic Circle in Norway – in which she raised around £700 for Headway. She has also recovered enough to be able to return to the slopes. It has been amazing to be able to return to the mountains and ski again. She said: “Keeping fit has been a really important part of my recovery, even though I wasn't able to exercise as much as I would have liked to begin with due to the fatigue. “I would recommend to anyone recovering from a brain injury, that if they can, they should keep on exercising. Make sure to get outside and continue to remain healthy. Also, if you're going skiing, do wear a helmet! “I wouldn't ski or cycle without a helmet now and I'd recommend anyone to wear one. You don't realise how delicate your brain is until it's not working as it should. “I don't think it's worth the risk skiing without a helmet, and besides, it also keeps your head nice and warm on the piste.” Back to stories index Cycle safety We are passionate about promoting safe cycling, while supporting calls to make it safer for people of all ages to take to their bikes and get pedalling. Find out more Richard Branson saved by helmet in bike crash Find out more Headway welcomes findings of cycle helmet study Find out more Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings