Team Headstrong Rolls On!
Nearly everything about Jim Ledgewood is extraordinary.
There’s the fact he survived getting shot in the face with a hollow point bullet that exploded inside his skull in 2006. Since he was discharged from the hospital after only three weeks – once he was determined to be physically recovered – he wasn’t even fully aware of the damage to his brain until years later.
“I found out a couple years later the bullet actually hit my brain and I had a brain injury,” Ledgewood said.
“I’m used to working hard for everything. It is what it is. I have my moments, but they’re moments. They’re not a day, they’re not a week.”
Team Headstrong Rolls On!
Nearly everything about Jim Ledgewood is extraordinary.
There’s the fact he survived getting shot in the face with a hollow point bullet that exploded inside his skull in 2006. Since he was discharged from the hospital after only three weeks – once he was determined to be physically recovered – he wasn’t even fully aware of the damage to his brain until years later.
“I found out a couple years later the bullet actually hit my brain and I had a brain injury,” Ledgewood said.
“I’m used to working hard for everything. It is what it is. I have my moments, but they’re moments. They’re not a day, they’re not a week.”
Like many gun violence survivors, Ledgewood was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’d gone to a sports bar in Glendale to see his cousin play in a band. While leaving, the moment Ledgewood opened the door, a cascade of bullets hit the bar.
The shooter had gotten into an altercation with the bar’s security guard the night before. The security guard had refused to let the shooter in because he’d been armed. They argued and the security guard, a mixed martial artist, physically fought with the shooter. The next night – the night Ledgewood went the bar – the shooter returned to make good on his threat to kill the security guard. At the exact moment Ledgewood opened the door, a spray of bullets was unleashed on the bar.
If Ledgewood had used a different exit or perhaps even left at a different time, he might never had to have rebuild his entire life.
But rebuild his life he did, another extraordinary feat.
For Ledgewood, recovery meant six years navigating years of physical, vocational and occupational therapy, participating in two full trials for the shooter, and adjusting to the loss of one eye and hearing in one ear.
It was during those years of rebuilding that Ledgewood came to the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona. But he didn’t just passively accept the resources and education on offer to him. Ledgewood wanted to elevate his post-injury experience and took the initiative to do so.
“One of the big things I wanted to do was start a men’s group, or any kind of group, to meet people,” he said.
Seeing his initiative, BIAAZ asked Ledgewood to be chairman of the first Run, Walk and Roll event in 2018.
Not only did Ledgewood fully embrace that role, he brought one of the largest teams the event’s ever had, a record he’s maintained every year since and is well on track to meet this year. He did share the honors with Encompass Health in 2023 when there was a tie!
Like many Run, Walk and Roll participants, Ledgewood’s family joins his team to support him. In addition to flying in from all over the country, the family members who can’t make it to Kiwanis Park in Tempe, sign up to virtually participate.
But it wasn’t just Ledgewood’s family that grew the team’s numbers.
“A lot of clients at my work, they know me, and they donate or come out,” he said.
Then there are his fellow bowling league members. And the jurors from his shooter’s second trial, who Jim meets with once a year. Not to mention friends from college and their families.
“This just couldn’t happen to a better person, they tell me,” Ledgewood said.
What’s his secret? Ledgewood isn’t quite sure himself.
“They know me as a person, I guess I’m likable,” Ledgewood jokes. “I guess it’s my story and how I dealt with it.”
In an experience that’s common for the vast majority of brain injury survivors, Ledgewood’s steep road to a full recovery was riddled with a myriad of challenges, all piled on top of an already deeply difficult situation.
There was navigating the complexities of insurance bureaucracy, often while also jumping through hoops to qualify for rehabilitation and support services. Filling out paperwork is one thing; doing it while simultaneously dealing with his new physical disabilities of vision and hearing loss is another. Beneath all that was a constant hum of pain from scar tissue, which Jim still deals with today. The narcotics he’s been prescribed to mitigate the pain leave him too fuzzy to work.
Ledgewood met all of this with a gentle pragmatism.
“I’m used to working hard for everything,” Ledgewood said. “It is what it is. I have my moments, but they’re moments. They’re not a day, they’re not a week.”
None of his personal challenges have dampened the gentle kindness and sincere warmth that is immediately apparent when speaking with Ledgewood. This is a deeply sincere and humble man, and in a way, it’s not surprising so many people flock to Arizona to support him.
Ledgewood’s Run, Walk and Roll team is aptly named after his nonprofit, I Am Headstrong. Team members all wear t-shirts that show a CT scan of Ledgewood’s skull after being shot, with tiny skull shards fanning out from the back of his skull.
He also credits the mild Arizona fall weather, beautiful Kiwanis Park lake and the fun atmosphere of the event to why his teammates continue to show up each year.
“They love coming back,” he said. “The weather’s always great, the lake is always great. It’s everyone getting together for a good reason, having a good time.”
It’s not surprising that Ledgewood’s team tends to do well on a competitive level as well. His first year, Ledgewood himself came in first place for his age group.
For Ledgewood, Run, Walk and Roll checks a lot of boxes for personal fulfillment. He’s always enjoyed team sports and working with people.
“I always liked being around others and helping others,” Ledgewood said.
Today, Ledgewood has returned to work and, for the most part, is thriving.
“I went back to work in 2013 and I’m doing quite well for everything considered,” Ledgewood said.
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
