Professional snowboarder on tour with clothing company to bring awareness to TBI
A professional snowboarder who sustained traumatic brain injury is taking to the road with a clothing company to tell his story. Lululemon is partnering with professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce for Brain Injury Awareness Month. Lululemon is a Canadian self-described yoga-inspired athletic apparel company and a designer and retailer of technical athletic apparel, which produces a clothing […]
A professional snowboarder who sustained traumatic brain injury is taking to the road with a clothing company to tell his story. Lululemon is partnering with professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce for Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Lululemon is a Canadian self-described yoga-inspired athletic apparel company and a designer and retailer of technical athletic apparel, which produces a clothing line and runs international clothing stores from its company base in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The company makes a number of different types of athletic wear, including performance shirts, shorts, and pants, as well as lifestyle apparel and yoga accessories. They sell their clothing internationally.
“Pearce will be traveling the West Coast in a ’73 airstream, making pit stops in San Francisco, Tahoe, Bend, Portland, Vancouver and Whistler,” an article by the Observer reads. “Each town will host a different event, including yoga, meditation and dinners. But at each locale, the athlete will also premiere a short film focused on his personal recovery from brain injury.”
Pearce suffered a near-fatal injury while he was training for the 2009 Winter Olympics. He hit his head on the halfpipe and sustained traumatic brain injury as a result. HBO premiered a documentary on Pearce’s recovery at Sundance in 2013.
“He was competing against his biggest rival, Shaun White and both men tried increasingly difficult tricks in the months leading up to the Winter Olympics in 2010,” the article reads. “After his brain injury, Pearce was barely able to move or speak. He has now fully recovered, and credits that mostly to yoga and meditation. And surprisingly, he’s still riding, albeit at a different pace, despite the danger of a potential second traumatic experience.”
Pearce has made a point to speak out about his experience, even starting a non-profit foundation called LoveYourBrain.
“LoveYourBrain is the message that embodies our positive approach to brain injury prevention and healing. Our programs are designed to build community, foster resilience, and help people understand the importance of loving your brain,” the LoveYourBrain website explains.
The foundation supports brain injury survivors and caregivers, along with providing workshops for yoga teachers so they can personally teach brain injury survivors. They also offer a yearly retreat in Pearce’s home state, Vermont, for both caregivers and survivors,” the Observer reports.
