Lauren De Crescenzo

I’m Lauren, a professional gravel cyclist and TBI survivor. My nearly fatal TBI occurred in 2016 at the end of a road race. After flipping over the barriers in the sprint and landing directly on my head, I was airlifted to the Los Angeles County Hospital ICU. Three weeks later, I was airlifted to Craig Rehabilitation Center in Colorado where I spent 2 months relearning how to walk and talk. Following discharge, it took me two years to recover.

In 2021, I won Unbound Gravel, the 200-mile “Tour de France” of gravel racing, and following the win, I made the decision to return to professional cycling. It took all the grit and tenacity I had to get back to where I am today, and now that I’m in a position in the cycling world where I can be a role model for other riders, I want to be part of changing the culture around brain injury. I love my brain, and I want other people to know how important it is to love their brain. I share about my experience with TBI because I want to ease the healing process for others. That is more gratifying than any race win!