Olympic gold medallist backs BIRT campaign

1 September 2008

BIRT sends its congratulations to Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Romero, who supported our third annual Look After Your Head Campaign. The Look After Your Head campaign is part of the annual Brain Injury Awareness Week . Rebecca won the gold medal in the 3,000 metres cycling race in Beijing, following her success in the world championships last year.

Rebecca, who is also an Olympic Rowing Medalist, tells a very poignant story: “When I was a junior rower an extremely gifted and talented team mate called Anna Fangen had an accident whilst cycling on her bike.

"She tragically lost her life. Her journey was a short one to a training session but she wasn’t wearing a helmet.

"As was the case with Anna, motor vehicles are not always involved in fatal cycling accidents. Bad road or weather conditions, loss of bike control or mistakes by the rider can also contribute to serious crashes.”

"I never get on my bike without a helmet on"

Adding her own important message, Rebecca says: “Wearing a helmet is such a simple action to take to protect yourself. I never get on my bike without a helmet on. Make sure you look after your head too. After all, it’s where you create those amazing dreams like mine was of becoming World Champion, as I’m sure was Anna’s too.”

This is the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust’s third annual Look After Your Head campaign, which aims to help children learn about the causes and effects of brain injury, and how to look after their head and stay safe.

BIRT has provided schools throughout the country BIRT’s free Educational Resource Pack , which includes activities to help convey this important message.

There’s also a competition to create a design to promote the “Look After Your Head” campaign in 2009 where a child in each of 12 regions can win a bicycle and helmet.

More than 8,000 children throughout the country will be taking part in these educational activities, learning the importance of looking after their head.

Lynn Turley, Service Director, says “We are delighted that Rebecca, who is such a role model for young cyclists, is supporting our campaign. Her endorsement will be a great help in emphasizing the need for children to take safety measures when they are cycling and doing other leisure activities.”

The Look After Your Head Campaign is supported by Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, The British Medical Association, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, and Creativity International.

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