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X Games Participant In Critical Condition With Brain Injury
Most of the talk about traumatic brain injury surrounds football. The sport is the most popular in America, and until recently was thought to be relatively safe for a game which is made of sending 300 pound men crashing into each other as hard as possible. It was assumed players would get hurt physically, but it was also assumed they would go on to live mentally healthy lives.
Extreme sports however, have never been thought to be all that safe. That is why they are extreme. But a recent snowmobiler’s terrible crash is a very recent reminder of just how perilous extreme sports are, right as the biggest extreme sports competition of the year draws to a close.
25-year old Caleb Moore is in intensive care, where he has been since January 25th. During the X Games finals round of the snowmobile freestyle competition, Caleb crashed while attempting a backflip, landing face first in the snow before being hit by his own snowmobile.
Moore was immediately diagnosed with a concussion, and bleeding in his heart gave reason for him to be airlifted to a Grand Junction, Colorado hospital. The concussion combined with the contusion in the heart have however caused secondary complications in Caleb’s brain. USA Today reported Caleb has remained in critical condition since Friday, and sadly his chances don’t look good.
Caleb’s family has set up a website hoping to help with the medical costs. Unfortunately, Caleb is not an isolated incident. The X Games are known for their huge tricks and devastating crashes, as are extreme sports as a whole. The dangerous nature of the game draws thrill seekers who push the limits and defy gravity. Sometimes however, we forget the cost.
