When an injury or hardship changes your ability to compete, it can also change your identity, confidence, and sense of purpose. Professional track and field athlete and TBI survivor Kiana Imani-Davis joins The Mental Matchup to talk about navigating exactly that.
Kiana is originally from Longview, WA, and competed in track and field at Washington State University. She now runs professionally for Team LSKD and Spike Town: Runners Plus. She has competed at multiple US Championships and Olympic Trials while managing the lasting impacts of a TBI and CSF leaks, and rebuilding her life and identity in the process.
In this episode, Kiana shares what she has learned, what she’s still learning, and the parts of an athlete’s journey that aren’t always visible. She talks about recovery, resisting the pressure to return to a former version of yourself, and finding a way forward when the path changes.
In this episode, we discuss:
How injury and hardship reshape identity, confidence, and purpose
Overcoming the pressure to “get back” to who you used to be
Navigating the “in-between” seasons that test us, shape us, and develop who we’re becoming
Life as a current professional athlete still learning and growing through recovery
Advice for athletes facing the unseen parts of their journey
About Our Guest:
Kiana Imani-Davis is a professional track and field athlete for Team LSKD and Spike Town: Runners Plus, a TBI survivor, and a speaker at the intersection of elite sport, resilience, recovery, and identity.
Connect with Kiana on IG here
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