“My understanding of what I was supposed to be, my definition of greatness, was professional greatness, the accumulation of wealth, money, things, and now I recognize greatness is what I can give back, finally.”

Pat Crowley—Taking It From Day One

While being interviewed for this blog post, Pat Crowley received an especially relevant email.

A friend of Pat’s, whom he had told about his new Run, Walk, Roll team, had shared Pat’s survivor story with their friend in the U.K. That friend, in turn, planned to make a donation to support Pat’s team.

This year is Pat’s first time participating in Run, Walk & Roll and the first time he’s formed a team for it, but he has already garnered international support.

For Pat, it was a deeply gratifying moment. Though he is years past the traumatic brain injury that changed his life forever in 2015, his participation in this year’s event marks a watershed moment in his internal healing journey.

“The external perspective of our battle is very different from our internal,” he said. “And I can help people understand that.”

Before his accident, Pat had a completely different view of what it meant to be successful.

“My understanding of what I was supposed to be, my definition of greatness, was professional greatness, the accumulation of wealth, money, things,” he said. “And now I recognize greatness is what I can give back, finally. I can do those other things over again, but now I have an asset to give that is unmatched.”

Getting to this place of spiritual peace and realization was a long, hard road for Pat. Prior to his brain injury, he was a natural athlete who also excelled at golf. More than recreation, his golfing abilities helped him build important relationships that were an integral part of his business success. Every piece of Pat’s life was in place. He had a beautiful family and was incredibly successful, both financially and professionally.

“I was very high functioning,” he said. “I was at the height of my career. Everything that I ever thought I wanted I had, I was achieving to a degree that I thought I should.”

Then, at an 88th birthday party for his wife’s aunt, he rode a motorcycle without a helmet and hit a parked car. His head slammed into the road, resulting in a diffuse axonal injury, which occurs when connective brain fibers tear. Though the injury doesn’t always show up on CT scans or MRIs, it is among the worst of brain injuries and frequently results in injury to several areas of the brain.

Pat woke up from a 13-day coma, partially medically induced, and discovered he could no longer walk when he tried to get out of the bed and fell right over.

It was the first of many humbling moments for Pat during the next several years of his physical – and spiritual – recovery.

Other huge challenges arose during his recovery. Pat and his wife divorced. Pat, a former alcoholic, relapsed, which is not an uncommon impact of brain injury. Throughout all of that, Pat was battling the long, hard daily fight to regain basic mobility and use of his body.

Eventually, Pat got through all of it, thanks to a combination of his deep religious belief and sheer willpower.

“I kept saying if anyone can come back from this, it’s me,” he said. “And it wasn’t me, it was God’s will. I’ve learned that now.”

Still, his experience as a lifetime high achiever played a role as well.

“But I just wasn’t ready to give up,” Pat said. “I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know that I couldn’t do it; I just did it.”

Today, Pat can walk and talk, is happily remarried, and has returned to work. He knows he lives in a new normal. Like all brain injury survivors, Pat has to accommodate the lifelong impacts of the brain injury, but he accepts who he is today instead of fighting it.

“Where I’ve come to my involvement is I’m now running to how much humility I’ve gathered, how much I’ve changed, how much more impactful my life can be because of the accident, rather than being the victim of the accident,” he said.

Even Pat’s team name reflects his incredible journey.

The team is named Day One after a Matthew West song by the same name. For Pat, the song’s lyrics reflect what he faced on a daily basis during his recovery. It also captures how his deeply held religious beliefs lit a way forward during his darkest moments.

“The song was a lot of my daily inspiration during my early recovery as I learned to walk and talk,” he said.

Day One is currently made up of family members, but Pat welcomes anyone who wants to join them on their 10K walk. The annual Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona event raises money for socialization and recreation opportunities for survivors of all types of brain injury.

“My primary purpose in life today is to give back to the brain injury community,” Pat said. “I believe that my mission will be fulfilled when I benefit others through what I learned and who I’ve become.”

The Brain Injury Alliance is ecstatic about Pat’s involvement and his willingness to share his story. Pat and his team are directly impacting the lives of brain injury survivors by ensuring they have fun, healthy, and enriching social outlets.

Few understand the importance of Run, Walk & Roll participation better than William Grove, a Certified Brain Injury Specialist for the Arizona Alliance.

“Social outings and our four-day Camp Brain rely on the fundraising from Run, Walk, & Roll,” said Will. “We can’t offer these things to our community without the support of the community.”

Currently, Will hosts an in-person board game night and is making reservations for a trip to Via 313 Pizzeria in Tempe for pizza, conversation and camaraderie among survivors.

“There’s an extra layer of resilience that you acquire during recovery when you find others going through something similar and you can get your vibe in sync,” William said.

Whether you join Day One or form your own team, it’s not too late to register for or sponsor Run, Walk & Roll 2024.

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts virtual and in-person support groups for survivors and families
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Help Line: 888-500-9165