January is a hard month for our rodeo family. The CFR, NFR & the holidays are over, temperatures have dropped, and more of us are at home before the next season really takes hold. January can be a time of reflection and preparation but as January 9th rolls around, we are reminded of those who have left our lives and sport too soon.
Ty Pozzobon was born to be a cowboy. He realized his childhood dreams in his short 25 years, becoming a three-time CFR qualifier, a four-time PBR World Finals qualifier, finishing 4th at the 2016 PBR World Finals, and being crowned the 2016 PBR Canada Champion. Sadly, damage from the brain injuries Ty sustained throughout his bull riding career was irreparable. Ty took his own life on January 9, 2017. Following his death, Ty’s brain was donated to the University of Washington to contribute to existing brain injury research. The study found multiple brain bleeds and evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which has been linked to repetitive traumatic brain injury in other athletes, such as football players. Ty is the first confirmed case of CTE in a rodeo athlete.
For athletes in the height of your career, choosing to recover can mean taking a brief step back from fame, fortune, and the pursuit of your lifelong dream. We know when you get to such a high & competitive level, your life has been built around your sport and it may feel like you have no choice but to keep going. You may feel like choosing to take the time to recover properly goes against the traditional cowboy way “being tough”, which is a misconception the Ty Pozzobon Foundation (TPF) is trying hard to change. TPF President and one of Ty’s best friends, Tanner Byrne, describes toughness as “doing the right thing, and making the decision to take care of yourself. Toughness is knowing the difference between pushing through when you are physically & mentally able to… and recognizing those times you know you shouldn’t be pushing through. You don’t feel tough carrying your friend’s casket at his funeral. You don’t feel tough watching his family & friend’s lives be forever changed. We need to think of toughness differently than we used to.”
The TPF was created shortly after Ty’s passing with the mission to protect and support the health and well-being of Western Lifestyle Participants inside and outside the arena. They partner frequently with the CPRSMT on both service and educational endeavors for rodeo and bull riding athletes of all levels. Ty’s mom Leanne says, “After losing Ty, we want athletes to know that they are so much more than a bull rider (rodeo athlete): they are sons & daughters, grandchildren, siblings, mentors, spouses, and friends, and we beg them to take care of themselves above all.”
You may wonder why there continues to be so much attention put on head injuries, and why the caregivers of the CPRSMT always advise you to take the time needed to recover from a concussion. We put a strong emphasis on the proper recovery because we’ve seen how tragically this story can end. We care as much about enhancing your rodeo career as we do about your life after rodeo ends. When asked what message she would want athletes to remember in the midst of their careers, Leanne emphasized “We want them to remember the lasting impacts brain injuries can have in every aspect of their life. Every hit to the head, no matter how small it may seem at the time, matters. They need to give themselves time to heal after every injury. There will always be another rodeo to compete in, but you only get one life. Most of all, we want athletes to remember that the sky is the limit for every one of them, but that they are not invincible. They need to listen to what their bodies, minds, and what their health professionals are telling them, and they need to lean on their support systems when needed.”
More information about concussions, CTE and your mental health can be found on our website www.prorodeosportmed.com/resources or for guidance on recovery from your own injury, please email rodeoinjuries@gmail.com To learn more about the TPF, please visit www.typozzobon.com #livelikety