Get Your Head Back in the Game

Melissa interviewed Tricia Davis, DPT, and the cycling coach about closing the gap between rehab and performance. Tricia highlights her transition from the traditional insurance-based practice to her new cash-based physical therapy practice in Brevard, NC, that gets her patients back to 100% recovery, closing the missing gap that a traditional PT practice misses. She covers how the client-centric...

Shari Bookstaff, a marine biology professor, suffered a devastating stroke following the removal of a benign brain tumor over 17 years ago. She shares her heartfelt story of determination, positivity, and love of whales and football that helped her regain her dignity, livelihood, and spirit. Shari's recovery in the hospital inspired her to create the non-profit Impact of Empathy, where she helps p...

In Episode 14, our guest, Dr. Tritia Finley, Ph. D., owner of Elite Performance Counseling in San Antonio, educates us on trauma. She details the importance of the mind and body connection in healing from a traumatic event. As a licensed professional counselor and adjunct professor at a local university, Tritia has over a decade of helping her clients transform anxiety stemming from traumatic expe...

In episode 13, Melissa Ross gives us an overview of her trip to the University of Pittsburg Medical Center's world-renowned Concussion Program. Melissa discusses the types of specialists and testing she received during her day-long appointment and the recommendations that were given to help her get to 100% recovery. After four weeks of following their protocol, Melissa is already seeing significan...

In Episode 12, Melissa talks with Lauri Atencio, a Certified Vision Therapist from Snowy Range Vision Center on vision rehabilitation, types of symptoms and therapies used for traumatic brain injury, and the dynamic visual system. Impacts to the head can disrupt the vision system. Lauri explains how the brain integrates vision with all parts of the brain and not just the occipital lobe. She also d...

In Episode 11 of Get Your Head Back in the Game, Al Rocco, a traumatic brain injury survivor and advocate for concussion warriors discusses his brain injury and road to recovery.  Al talks about the frustrations of navigating the medical world, losing his job, and being told he would never fully heal. After finding success through vision therapy and the concussion clinic at the UPMC - Univers...

In Episode 10, we dive into the vision system with Dr. Sue Lowe, a Developmental Rehabilitation Optometrist and a charter member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association for over 40 years. Dr. Lowe dives into the amazing vision system, our dominant sense, and what happens to our vision system when we have a concussion or TBI. Dr. Lowe addresses common questions about vision therapy, ligh...

Kieran McPherson, a New Zealand-born professional off-road triathlete was in the midst of a successful 10-year professional triathlon career when in October of 2021, he had a horrific mountain biking accident, fracturing his lower spine and damaging his knee. After being airlifted from the race and told he might lose the use of his legs, he spent weeks of bed rest in an Italian hospital before ret...

Melissa Ross, host of "Get Your Head Back in the Game," talks about how to take control of your life and move forward on your healing journey through sharing what helped her through her traumatic brain injury. She talks about taking control of her routine, finding forgiveness, dealing with setbacks, celebrating small wins, and moving forward.

Alison Dennis is the founder of Weigh My Rack and is currently in remission for a midline glioma brain tumor. Alison shares her heartfelt story from when she was first seeing warning symptoms and describes how her ER visit led to a first diagnosis of a rare, inoperable brain tumor. Alison shares her radiation and chemo treatment, the uncertainty of her future, to making a significant comeback thro...

In Episode 5, Melissa Ross discusses her experience of taking back control during her traumatic brain injury when she felt like she had lost everything. Melissa talks about simple ways you can find control during difficult times, and use those methods to gain momentum with taking back control over your life.

In Episode 4, Melissa Ross sits down with Nadia Sullivan, a chronic pain survivor, and elective partial hand amputee. Nadia was a former cycling coach and elite triathlete when the door of a limousine opened as she was riding by in the bike lane, causing severe hand trauma. After years of chronic, debilitating pain, therapies, and surgeries, Nadia's relief came from removing her middle finger to t...

In this episode of Get Your Head Back in the Game, Melissa speaks with Rebecca McKee, owner, and founder of Peak Center Alaska. Rebecca is a cycling and triathlon coach of over 20 years and an elite Ironman athlete. She recently won her age group at Ironman Arizona in November 2022. Rebecca McKee will discuss her Ironman story, her dealings with cancer, and how athletes can overcome disappointment...

Melissa Ross, host of, "Get Your Head Back in the Game," talks about her background in professional bike racing, the story of losing everything in a business, to suffering from two back-to-back traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). She discusses how she started her business Gnarketing at the time of her 2nd TBI, how her personality changed from the brain injury, and what she did to get her head back in...

Did you know that you can get depression after a concussion? Lindsay Nohl, Life Coach shares her story of overcoming severe depression after a mountain biking accident in 2019. What wasn't initially identified as a head injury, Lindsay spent months searching for a solution that would save her life. Her power to fight her way back will inspire you to take those steps too.