We wanted a platform to showcase the amazing abilities of our ABI community in the United Kingdom. After surviving a life-changing acquired brain injury, individuals are affected in very different and unique ways depending on where in the brain the injury happened. They often feel they have lost who they were, the relationships they once had with families and friends, their independence, their careers, financial stability, and confidence, their life is thrown into chaos and there is fear of the unknown.

The ABI Games™ allowed us to highlight the treasured skills each person still possesses or have developed during their recuperation and raise awareness of what it is like to have an ABI.

With the development of the 2022 ABI Games, we ensured there was an activity for all capabilities and confidences across our ABI Community, so we offered 24 options across two days. This worked beautifully and by leaving registration open all day on both days, we did not exclude anyone from taking part.

There was a weekend full of fun, achievements, tears of joy, individuals excelling and remembering lost skills and talents. Medals and a baseball cap, goody bag was issued to everyone and at the end of each day an award ceremony.

We had 90 individuals taking part with remote submissions for the Creative Expressions category if they couldn’t attend. The weekend surpassed our expectations. Individuals whom we know who are generally sedate in their everyday activities who were taking part in walking rugby or football, tennis and cricket were trotting across the courts, smiles beaming and finding new vigour and energies they hadn’t experienced for years.