CLFA Ambassador, Wendy Smith, the mother of Antonio Lo Iacono advocates the seriousness of concussions and secondary impacts in contact sport after watching her son take his last breath whilst playing the first game of the 2023 footy season. Antonio, a 20-year-old talent suffered a life-threatening injury from an on-field head collision in an A grade community football game. He was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition of where he was later declared brain dead.

What do I fear the most about repeated brain injuries? It isn’t the constant daze, headaches or mood swings, but instead I fear that when life is at its most enjoyable, I won’t be able to control my symptoms. I fear that when I have a family I won’t function to the best of my ability or be able to run, kick, or maybe, I’ll forget things completely.

My name is Trent Robert Keep, a 29-year-old male born in Latrobe on the North West coast of Tasmania and I have experienced repeated head trauma from sport and during my rehab processes.

I have been diagnosed with probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused in part by repeated head trauma. What can result from this brain damage is memory loss, poor impulse control, impaired judgement, aggression, anxiety, depression, and eventually progressive dementia. More people are becoming aware of CTE through media reports and the tragic stories of those who have lost their battle with the disease. However, I want my story to be one of hope rather than despair.

After suffering seven concussions in three years – I was forced to medically retire. My life has completely changed as a result of the head injuries I sustained playing sport and I now want to raise awareness of the ‘invisible disease’ I live with.

The Concussion Legacy foundation has always reached a spot for me that I feel close to. I have two friends that play professional football and couldn’t think of a better way to raise awareness by providing information to the public around how a concussion has effects on the brain. I will be forever thankful to the Concussion legacy foundation in supporting me along my next big ride of completing 250kms in 30 days.

Lance Picioane is the Founder & CEO Love Me Love You foundation, a leading mental health and suicide prevention advocate, and a Former AFL player for Adelaide FC, Hawthorn FC, and North Melbourne FC. He is a husband and a father of two boys.

NRL great James Graham joined the CLF Australia Board of Directors in 2022. James is a passionate and inspiring advocate as he strives to raise awareness and promote education about concussions and repetitive head impacts in contact sports and is keen to find answers and solutions to make sports safer for all.

CLF Australia’s Executive Director, Annitta Siliato, joins her brother Paul to discuss his experience with The Project, an Australian television news-current affairs and talk show program. Paul developed epilepsy following brain injuries sustained during his grassroots Australian rules football career.