Bayhealth team participates in BrainStrong 5K

On Labor Day, some Bayhealth employees engaged in physical labor for a very good cause.

The Brain Injury Association of Delaware, in conjunction with Tri Sports Events, held its second annual BrainStrong 5K at Wild Quail Country Club in Dover. The race benefits the Brain Injury Association of Delaware, whose mission is to create a better tomorrow for those affected by brain injury through prevention, education and advocacy.

Bayhealth neurosurgeon James Mills, MD, serves on the board of the Brain Injury Association and was a key organizer of this event, in which his entire family took part as well. This year’s turnout more than doubled from last year’s event, growing from 169 participants to 371.

“It was very inspiring to see so many survivors of brain injury take part in this event,” said Bayhealth’s Lead Inpatient Physical Therapist Brian Lewis, MPT. “There are many different kinds of brain injuries. They can affect anyone from the very young who have been in motor vehicle accidents, to athletes who have suffered concussions in contact sports, to the elderly who have fallen or suffered a stroke. It’s an injury for which everyone is at risk.”

The Bayhealth team, composed of members from the physical therapy and speech therapy departments, took the third-place overall finish, and two members took home individual plaques in their age groups. Physical Therapy Aide Ashley Robinson received first place for females 20-24, finishing in 23:31, and Speech Therapist Ben Rubin received second place for males 25-29, coming in at 22:17.

Several Bayhealth employees also set personal best times. Outpatient Therapy Office Coordinator Kathy Matthews finished sixth overall in the females walking category at 44:19, and Restorative Nursing Aide Maggie Mathena improved her time by a whopping 4:23 this year, coming in at 34:54.

“While our team had a great time, the biggest winner at the event was the Brain Injury Association of Delaware,” Lewis said.