An Oklahoma native, Lauren had one passion; that passion was soccer. The desire to be the best at the game soccer provided many opportunities- from state tournaments, college showcases and eventually the opportunity to play in college.
Lauren accepted a scholarship to play for MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, KS). Known for her physical play in the air, Lauren would do anything at all costs to win the 50/50 challenge. The determination to be the best in the air would come with a price of suffering at least a dozen concussions and countless sub-concussive hits to the head.
Unable to overcome the lingering symptoms, Lauren walked away from the game of soccer in 2007 at the age of 21. Today, although diagnosed with Chronic Post Concussion Syndrome, Lauren dedicates herself to educating athletes on concussions and why they must be taken seriously, and to that end co-founded the Concussion Connection with another athlete suffering from PCS, and has been working to strengthen Oklahoma's youth sports concussion safety law. Lauren has also agreed to donate her brain to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
