When Connie Wood came off her horse and knocked her head, she initially thought not much of it. She hadn’t been doing anything particularly wild or dangerous in the moments leading up to the fall, it was just like any other day on her quiet, dependable horse.

What Connie would go on to experience was no bump on the head – it was, in fact, a significant brain injury.

In this episode, Connie recounts what she can remember of her accident, the unexpected aspects of her recovery, and we discuss the age old sticking point – can you wear a helmet in Northern Australia for extended periods of time without risking heat stroke?

If her voice sounds familiar, it’s because Connie is no stranger to this podcast – this is actually her 5th time on the show, so make sure you go and check out her other episodes.

Earlier in this episode I mentioned a condition that can occur from multiple head knocks and concussions. For anyone who would like to go and read more on it, it’s called Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and it is a brain disorder likely caused by repeated head injuries. It causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, known as degeneration. It gets worse over time. The only way to definitively diagnosis CTE is after death during an autopsy of the brain.

This episode isn’t intended to advocate for whether or not to wear a helmet – but as always, it’s up to each of us to weigh up the risks, and I hope no one feels socially pressured to avoid using one.

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