Ever wonder how repeated hits affect the brain long after the game ends?

William Person shares his firsthand experience with CTE, sub-concussive impacts, & cognitive decline, revealing why high-impact sports carry hidden risks for mental health & long-term performance.

Meet our guest

William Person is a former nine-year Team USA bobsled athlete whose career left him battling severe CTE symptoms including cognitive decline, depression & debilitating headaches. After discovering Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, he regained mental clarity, vision & purpose, inspiring a new mission focused on brain healing. Today, William is raising awareness around brain injury in sports, the military & beyond while working to open a nonprofit Post Concussion Recovery Center to provide care at no cost.

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Key takeaways

Bobsledding carries serious under-recognized risks for brain injury & CTE even without obvious crashes
Repetitive subconcussive impacts accumulate over time, leading to significant neurological damage
CTE affects more than professional athletes, impacting military personnel, domestic violence survivors, & others
CTE links closely with higher suicide rates & severe behavioral health crises among athletes & veterans
Symptoms often appear years later & are frequently misdiagnosed as depression, diabetes, or normal aging
Some organizations suppress or erase evidence of risks to protect legal or financial interests
Friends & family often notice behavioral or cognitive decline before the individual recognizes it
Legal systems & institutions create barriers that slow warnings, prevention, & treatment efforts
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivered dramatic improvements when conventional treatments failed
Advocacy & speaking out drive real change, even when efforts begin with a single determined voice

Episode highlights

0:00 Expose Hidden Brain Injury Risks in Elite Sports

6:12 Connect CTE to Mental Health Decline

15:48 Challenge Medical & Organizational Failures

25:36 Understand How CTE Develops Over Time

36:58 Explore Recovery Pathways & Treatment Hope

51:42 Build Advocacy Community & Next Steps

Links

Watch it on YouTube: https://outliyr.com/247-video
Full episode show notes: outliyr.com/247

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#247 CTE, Brain Injury & the Hidden Cost of High-Impact Sports | William Person