In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, hosts Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock welcome returning guest Ryan Carey — a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran, former Canadian Football League (CFL) player, musician and football coach — for a candid conversation about brain health, traumatic brain injury and life after service.
Ryan shares insights from both his military and professional athletic experiences, diving into how repetitive impacts can affect brain function and sharing practical strategies for maintaining brain health. Brian, Laryssa and Ryan also explore the often-overlooked role of Family members and caregivers, the unspoken realities around transition to post-service life and the ongoing evolution in safety practices in the military and in sports. Throughout the discussion they highlight the importance of self-care, solidarity and peer support in navigating both physical and psychological challenges.

Ryan Carey was drafted fourth overall in the 1994 CFL draft and played for five years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He served as an infantry officer in the Royal Canadian Regiment from 2002 to 2016. Ryan is a brain donor and leader of Project Enlist, which brings awareness to head injuries in the military for the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada.

Key topics

• The physical and psychological impacts of repetitive head trauma
• Practical strategies for managing brain health
• Advancements in military and sports organizations' understanding of brain health and adoption of safer practices
• The differences in symptoms between posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
• Coping with memory loss and changing capabilities after injury
• The importance of communication and support from Family, peers and caregivers

Interested in hearing more about traumatic brain injury? Listen to Ryan’s previous appearance on Mind Beyond the Mission where he first joined Brian and Laryssa to discuss traumatic brain injury and brain health.

Resources

• Resources on traumatic brain injury for Veterans, their Family members and people who work with them
• Traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Concussion Legacy Foundation
• Project Enlist
• Operation Brain Health
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
• Brain Injury Canada resource website

Lire en français ici : https://atl-as.ca/mbtm-ep33-fr