Former Kitchener Rangers player Ben Fanelli is back at The Aud, not to play hockey, but to talk about a new program called Head Strong.
Fanelli ended up in hospital with a fractured skull after an incident in October 2009, and at the time it was unclear if he'd ever play hockey again.
"It's a miracle for me to be able to walk into this room and put together sentences for what I went through," he says.
He hasn't played a game yet, but he's back on the ice practicing and on the road to recovery.
Working in partnership with his former team, he's also helped develop the program ‘Head Strong, Fanelli 4 Brain Injury Awareness.'
The program aims to raise awareness about brain injuries and raise funds for the Brain Injury Association of Canada (BIAC).
Fanelli says "I thought I could do something better and help out other people that went through what I went through. It's obviously something that no one plans for and no one wants to happen."
His teammates and coach are backing his efforts both on and off the ice.
Kitchener Rangers' forward Gabriel Landeskog says "It was a pretty special moment for not only him, but for all of us to see him out there again."
Fanelli's also doing some training in cycling, swimming and running. In June, Fanelli will be running a triathlon in Milton, Ont. and collecting pledges in support of the BIAC.
To donate to the BIAC please visit: http://biac-aclc.ca/en/donate/
