“I’m always working to ensure that my disability doesn’t control me or what I can do. I’m hoping the book will inspire others to keep moving forward knowing they can accomplish their goals beyond TBI.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) March 02, 2015
She was told she’d never walk again. What she didn’t know was that her brain, home to the injury, was what she’d fight the hardest to overcome.
In honor of March Brain Injury Awareness Month, triathlete Amy Morosini has launched a crowdfunding campaign, she hopes will allow her to complete a book to inspire survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Morosini is a TBI survivor who fell from a third-story window in 1997 and was told she would never walk without assistance. Not only did she walk again, Morosini transitioned from a wheelchair to winning the bronze medal at the 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, Ga., triathlon in the Physically Challenged Female Division. But her battle isn’t over. Morosini, like many others suffering from traumatic brain injuries, faces invisible challenges every single day.
She is launching her crowdfunding campaign at Pubslush (http://amymorosini.pubslush.com) to raise money to write and publish her book, Picking Up The Pieces: A TBI Survivor's Story. Morosini hopes the book will inspire others to achieve their personal, professional and athletic best, and raise awareness about the realities of living with a TBI.
“I truly believe my story is one that needs to be told,” says Morosini, who now volunteers at the Veterans Affairs Integrated Brain Health and Wellness Center in Martinez, Calif., helping wounded military with TBI. “I’m a living example of what can be accomplished with faith, determination and hard work.”
Each year, organizations nationwide recognize March as Brain Injury Awareness Month, an opportunity to educate the public about brain injury and the needs of people with brain injuries and their families. Morosini’s story is the focus of an article this month in Prevention Magazine and she will also be in the May/June issue of The National Academy of Sports Medicine's (NASM) The Training Edge Magazine.
Her TBI story began early on Jan. 1, 1997, when she fell out of a third-story window of her ex-boyfriend's apartment in San Francisco in what police labeled a "suspicious occurrence."
Morosini, then an athletic 27-year old on a career path in the Bay Area’s emerging technology field, would go on to battle 15 years of TBI-related depression, alcohol abuse and obesity. Today, she has found her purpose inspiring others with TBI and other disabilities through marathons and triathlons.
Participating in the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon – also knows as a half IRONMAN – meant Morosini had to complete a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. Her inspiration was Scott Rigsby, a double amputee IRONMAN, who runs a foundation that supports individuals with physical challenges. Rigsby lost both of his legs in an accident when he was 18.
“My goal always is just the get across the finish line,” Morosini says. “I’m always working to ensure that my disability doesn’t control me or what I can do. I’m hoping the book will inspire others to keep moving forward knowing they can accomplish their goals beyond TBI.”
About Amy Morosini: Amy Morosini is a 46-year-old wife and mother of three boys – 11 year old twins and a special needs 8-year-old. After suffering TBI in 1997, Morosini now competes in marathons and triathlons to inspire wounded warriors with TBI or post traumatic stress disorder. In addition, Morosini volunteers her time working with veterans at the Integrated Brain Health & Wellness Center at the VA in Martinez, Calif. Morosini holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Media from Rutgers University and a certified personal trainer license from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. For more information about her book, visit: http://www.tbichick.com/. To support her crowdfunding campaign, visit: http://amymorosini.pubslush.com
