My Story. My Journey. My Rebuild.

I am a survivor of a traumatic brain injury.

February 20th, 2022.

A day that changed my life forever.

My name is Adam. I’m 33 years old, and this is my story.

Nearly four and a half years ago, I suffered a traumatic brain injury in a road traffic collision. A tree snapped in half and came through the front windscreen of the car I was a passenger in, hitting me in the head.

I suffered two bleeds on the brain, a fractured eye socket and a fractured jaw. I was admitted to Intensive Care at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW) and placed into an induced coma for eight days.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to be alive and to have recovered in the way that I have.

I’ll forever be grateful to my family, friends, my ex partner Catherine, and the incredible staff at ICU UHCW who saved my life and supported me through the hardest period of my life.

But recovery wasn’t just physical.

I had to leave my career with West Midlands Police and retire from playing semi-professional football, something that had been a huge part of my life.

For a long time, I struggled with how much my life had changed and allowed the effects of my accident to define what I believed I was capable of.

Eventually, my mindset changed.

Instead of focusing on what the accident had taken away from me, I started focusing on what I could still build.

The Rebuild

On 19th April 2026, I completed my first Manchester Marathon in 3:13:28.

Six weeks later, I spontaneously completed a 55km ultramarathon alongside two friends.

And on 6th September, I’ll be pacing the 1:40 group at the Kenilworth Half Marathon, helping other runners achieve their own goals.

None of those things would have felt possible a few years ago.

But this isn’t really about running times, medals or races.

It’s about what they represent.

Running became part of rebuilding my confidence, my self-belief and ultimately my life.

Now I want to use it to help other people.

Turning Adversity Into Something Positive

Throughout 2026, I’m raising money and awareness for two charities incredibly close to me:

Headway – The Brain Injury Association, supporting people affected by brain injury and their families.

ANDYSMANCLUB, a men’s suicide prevention charity providing free peer-to-peer support groups and encouraging men to talk openly about their mental health.

#ITSOKAYTOTALK

Supporting these charities is my way of giving something back and turning something life-changing into something positive.

Sharing my story hasn’t been easy, but if it helps just one person affected by brain injury, struggling with their mental health or simply going through a difficult period, and reminds them that they’re not alone, then sharing it is worth it.

I’m living proof that even after the darkest moments and deepest setbacks, giving up is never the answer.

There is always a way forward, and sometimes that way forward becomes something you never thought you were capable of.

The accident will always be part of my story.

But it doesn’t define where my story goes next.

This is my story.

My journey. My rebuild.

If you can support me by donating, sharing this page or simply starting a conversation with someone who might need one, it genuinely means more than you know.

Life is precious. We get one crack at this, so why not make the most of it. ❤️

Thank you.

Ad Bilic (Bil) 👊🏼