Leonard Lewis

For many, brain injury can mean having to rebuild one’s life from scratch. To start again. To relearn the most basic of life skills. It’s a journey, and there’s no finishing line.

For retail entrepreneur and philanthropist Leonard Lewis, this journey is still ongoing – 32 years after he sustained a traumatic brain injury.

Leonard (pictured above with his partner Amanda), who is also a disability activist, chose to chronicle his frustrations, progress and positivity.

His book, Back to Go, is a memoir of reinvention and resilience, of hope and inspiration. And, to help others facing similar challenges, he has made his book available to freely download from the Headway website.

When Leonard woke from an 18-day induced coma following a severe traumatic brain injury in 1994, he could not have imagined the journey ahead – or the impact his story would ultimately have on others.

Leonard’s book began almost accidentally more than 20 years ago. With no plan other than the urge to capture his thoughts, he started typing on his early Nokia Communicator, unsure whether anyone else would ever read what he wrote.

Returning to the manuscript two decades later, he recognised something powerful: life after brain injury doesn’t stand still.

Today, Leonard continues to face new hurdles, develop new insights, and, crucially, find new opportunities for growth. His reflections reaffirm his belief in neuroplasticity and the importance of a goal-oriented approach to recovery.

The title Back to Go draws on the familiar Monopoly phrase. For Leonard, brain injury sent him ‘back to the start’ of what he calls his second life.

Yet his memoir is far from defeatist. Instead, it is a celebration of the human spirit’s capacity to adapt. As neuroscientist Professor Susan Greenfield notes in her foreword, Leonard’s voice is ‘personal, humorous, and honest’, speaking not only for himself but for many who can no longer do so.

Leonard added: “An accident is always unexpected. I went through the normal post-accident stages of recovery of confusion, denial and depression before finally accepting my condition.

“People with severe brain injuries have a lot to process. First, they must understand that they have a problem. Then they have to grasp that brain damage is not temporary. And then they must find a motivation: a vision for their recovery.

“The trouble is that however many visitors you have, however much family and friends may care, if you lie in bed, day after day, any sense of purpose wanes. The condition of waiting takes over.

“I ended up realising that the marathon track is not circular and that the new me is different to the old me. So I had to reinvent myself, I had to relearn the fundamentals of living.

“Thirty years on, the new life is different but it is good. I am not sure that I would go through the process again because one time is enough!”

Download Back to Go

Leonard has made his book available to freely download from our website.