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Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona Blog

This TBI Survivor is Always in the Running

Thomas Baker was 21 years old when his life took an unexpected turn.

During his over 30 years of running with this issue, Tom managed to complete 20 full marathons, including ultra-marathons and races in England, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland.

This TBI Survivor is Always in the Running

Thomas Baker was 21 years old when his life took an unexpected turn.

During his over 30 years of running with this issue, Tom managed to complete 20 full marathons, including ultra-marathons and races in England, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland.

Born in Queens, New York, he was in the fall semester of his senior year at the University of Connecticut, with a summa cum laude GPA, while majoring in accounting. He had just finished his initial wave of interviews with the Big Eight accounting firms.

Then, on November 10, 1983, he was in a car crash that affected his eyesight and balance. Always looking to use a good line, he jokes that in the aftermath, “I was as sharp as a marble.”

While at his first job with Price Waterhouse, his father passed away, which contributed to his unhappiness at the position. Thomas subsequently worked for insurance companies in the Hartford region for several years, earning his master’s degree in the evenings.  

But he was aware of signs that he was having difficulties. He had worked at Price Waterhouse for 11 years without any promotion and was making frequent mistakes. Eventually, they gave him a new position away from main production as a researcher.    

Prior to the accident, Thomas had been an avid runner for years and was able to resume five months later. Shortly thereafter, his mother remarried, and he took up long-distance running. “In the fall of ’89, I ran my first marathon, and was bitten by the bug,” he recalls.  

However, on November 15, 1994, Thomas was hit by another car, this time while he was out on a run. He found himself struggling as self-doubt filled him over the next five years. During this period, the accounting firm he worked for was bought by another company. He accepted the severance package they offered him and joined his family, which had moved to Arizona.

While in the Grand Canyon state, he developed an interest in photography, even shooting at friends’ weddings, but as he puts it, “My speech impairment and complications from my head injuries prevented me from making this a full-time career.”

While the traumatic setback of being hit by a car while running didn’t impede his love of the sport, his initial accident had changed the mechanics of his stride. During his over 30 years of running with this issue, he managed to complete 20 full marathons, including ultra-marathons and races in England, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland.

Unfortunately, his passion has caused bone damage in his feet, which required surgery on one of them in July 2021. He has recently stopped running, focusing exclusively on long distance biking.

To date, he has ridden about 10 centuries (the equivalent of 100 miles or more), one of which he rode only six months after his foot surgery. At some point, he acknowledges, surgery will be required for his other foot as well.    

Now 60 years old, Thomas lives in Carefree with his two feline companions, Gemini and Bailey. “I have never been married or had a meaningful and lasting relationship,” he shares. “I am open to following a new path or direction.”

His eagerness to forge ahead with a willing mind is also what lead him to register for the Brain Injury Alliance’s 2022 Rays of Hope Survivors and Caregivers Conference, which took place at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Thomas’s experience at the conference has been a positive one, and he’s pleased his efforts to branch out have been rewarding.

After all, nobody should doubt the strength and determination of a former long-distance runner—especially when that someone is Thomas Baker.

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 Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Workgroup
  • Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
  • Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
  • Manages statewide Neuro Info-Line: 888-500-9165

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