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Skilled skier, Jamie Crane-Mauzy, recognized to her buddies and followers as Jamie “MoCrazy” seen her whole identification as being based mostly round that of knowledgeable athlete. She was on the high of her recreation, having received gold within the junior championships, and representing the USA in freestyle snowboarding in the beginning stopped in 2015.
Tragically, a severe fall on the slopes left her with a traumatic mind damage at age 22 and her life was turned utterly the other way up. Fortunately, with the assist of her loving mother (Grace) and sister (Jeanee), and with assist from the medical group, Jamie not solely survived, however went on to make an unimaginable restoration.
Whereas now not destined to compete, she as soon as once more placed on the skis to show that the place there’s a will, there’s a approach. Not too long ago, a documentary was launched detailing her accident, restoration, and want to get higher. The movie follows her as she battles despair and finds hope within the face of adversity.
M&F sat down with this inspirational determine to search out out what she’s realized alongside the best way, and the way Jamie Crane-Mauzy’s journey helps others.
Why did you need to create the brief documentary, “#MoCrazyStrong”?
I needed to indicate a dynamic story that adjustments the narrative for ladies and household involvement round TBI [traumatic brain injury] restoration. I waited via my restoration journey to indicate the arc of climbing an alternate peak, and rebuilding an identification after trauma. I needed to wait till I returned to Whistler Ski Resort to marry the love of my life, atop the very mountain that just about took my life!
Do you assume that plenty of viewers might be reassured that it’s regular to really feel depressed even after a perceived “restoration”?
It’s OK to really feel depressed and overwhelmed after encountering a trauma, simply don’t keep caught on the backside. After a metaphorical avalanche slides you down the mountain of life, you possibly can at all times climb an alternate peak! Your capabilities could have completely modified, however you possibly can at all times construct a life you like.
You needed to come to phrases with dropping the highs you felt via aggressive snowboarding. To place that into context, what it’s prefer to flip via the air and make a profitable 90-feet leap?
Flipping via the air provides a second of elation that provides function to all of the hours of labor that goes into studying that excellent trick.
When the crash occurred, did it put you off ever snowboarding once more?
No, the precise reverse occurred. I used to be in a coma for 10 days. Then, I had severe amnesia for six weeks after waking from the coma. In the course of the amnesia, I knew I used to be knowledgeable skier and needed to return to skilled snowboarding. Once I determined I used to be going to return I couldn’t even stroll up a flight of stairs independently.
The primary winter, I mentally attributed my TBI with different ski accidents like damaged bones or torn ligaments. I used to be planning on taking that winter off competing after which I’d return to the world tour, however I knew I needed to relearn to ski and all my tips. In the long run, I made a decision I didn’t need to danger loss of life, so I made a decision to not return to competitors and needed to construct a brand new identification for myself as a TBI advocate.
How did you deal with that necessary resolution within the early going?
Once I started to comprehend that my earlier identification as knowledgeable skier had been ripped away, I started to undergo main dips in my happiness. Someday, whereas nonetheless dwelling at my mother’s home in Park Metropolis, UT, I keep in mind mendacity in mattress and having the considered ‘who would care if I bought up?’ That first winter, my mother advised me that an organization I used to be a grant recipient from; Excessive Fives Basis had already paid for me to go to psychological remedy. I didn’t assume I wanted remedy. I felt like I used to be presupposed to be comfortable as a result of I used to be alive, however then I might get triggered to cry 3-5 instances every day. Going to remedy was top-of-the-line issues I’ve ever carried out and I return to remedy each time I want exterior assist, balancing the traumas I expertise.
How did you go about filling the additional time that you just now had post-skiing?
I began attending faculty one yr out of my TBI. It was so useful for me to have a function, set targets, and have the ability to really feel like I had construction. I might advocate that everybody recovering from a life altering trauma ought to discover one thing to place constructive power into with a gaggle. It could possibly be music classes, becoming a member of a ebook membership… I just lately met a TBI survivor who began the Montana Puzzle Membership as a solution to deliver survivors collectively!
How did you regain your mobility?
There’s plenty of bodily work that went into regaining my mobility. I understood the idea of pushing past your capabilities, having competed in sports activities my whole life. For instance, after I was leaving the hospital, I did yoga with my mother three days per week. I had very dangerous stability on the time, so it was very rudimentary yoga. Lots of the yoga was sitting and transferring my palms, or mendacity on the ground to maneuver my legs. My mother additionally understood, as I used to be rewiring my mind, that you will need to relearn to decelerate my mind with Shavasana (a soothing side of yoga). These little steps of health are important to rebuilding your life. Most individuals can do some bodily exercise even when they assume they’ll’t. You simply have to be artistic and break it all the way down to what you at the moment can accomplish.
How important was it have a assist group like your loved ones round you?
It is extremely necessary to have a assist group when recovering from a severe accident. Whereas household was crucial to me due to my mother’s schooling on mind growth, I recognize that not everybody has a supportive household. There’s a huge distinction from being a coddling household to being a supportive household, too. Very often, a household thinks that they’re being supportive when actually they’re limiting the TBI survivor’s means to return to being unbiased. There was a time after I couldn’t maintain a glass with out spilling the liquid. It will have been very simple for my mother to imagine she was being supportive by forcing me to carry the glass in my robust hand. As an alternative, she taped down my robust hand and compelled me to carry water within the cup with my weak hand. That allowed my mind to rebuild the pathways and synaptic connections, which allowed me to regain full mobility.
How lively are you now?
I want train to remain sane! I like actions, like climbing and snowboarding, Pilates, yoga and barre class. I attempt to do no less than a brief stroll or some stretching each day, and I want a category, or lengthy train exercise no less than 3 days per week. Final week, I used to be at a movie competition, house for 4 days after which went to a different movie competition. Earlier than I even got here house I signed up for 3 yoga and firming courses to reset me.
What’s your relationship with snowboarding like now?
I returned to snowboarding in December in 2015, 9 months after my TBI. Once I returned I used to be very excited and comfortable! It didn’t faze me that I needed to relearn to ski and I used to be again on the bunny slope. As an athlete, you might be used to taking it mellow after a torn ACL. What did have an effect on me emotionally was after I got here to the conclusion that I used to be not returning to competing. I needed to understanding I might by no means once more have that feeling of hovering via the air, weightless, and free feeling.
For individuals who could really feel like a serious accident means they have to hand over what they love. What would you say to them?
Once more; you possibly can climb an alternate peak. Normalize the struggles and despair. It’s okay to really feel dangerous, overwhelmed, and confused about why this occurred to you. However don’t keep there. Get the enable you want, like a therapist, bodily coach, contact your states TBI affiliation or name Mind Damage Affiliation of America for info 1-800-444-6443. Science has developed into the assumption that you would be able to recuperate from a traumatic mind damage, so now we have to talk and educate that to the coverage makers, trauma facilities, and basic public. These elements are all a part of our marketing campaign #MoCrazyStrong.
How can the “Muscle & Health” viewers watch #MoCrazyStrong?
For 2023 we’re doing a movie competition run throughout North America. We’re additionally delivering non-public screenings for individuals who have survived a Traumatic Mind Damage, household caregivers, therapists and assist employees, medical faculty college students and educators. If you want to host a screening please contact us via the web site.
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