Lindsay Gutierrez, 41, shares how she went from sustaining a traumatic brain injury to hiking the fourth-highest peak in the world.
After graduating from college in 2006, I was working paycheck to paycheck but really wanted a career that might allow me to explore the world. My grandfather encouraged me to consider the Air Force, so I met with a recruiter and we talked about my joining the security forces—the people who protect bases. Several months later, on September 23, 2010, I got a call telling me there was an opening. I packed up my gear and flew to San Antonio to start basic training.
During my Air Force career, I was deployed to three different places. My second deployment was in Djibouti, on the horn of Africa. My staff sergeant and I were conducting exercises with other soldiers. Around 4:15 a.m., we started heading back to camp in our SUV when it caught some gravel and fishtailed. Our vehicle slid off a bridge and rolled over several times down a hill. We landed right side up, but we'd been severely bounced around, with equipment flying everywhere. I had a seat belt on but no protective gear or helmet and experienced severe whiplash.
The sergeant and I were checked at the small medical facility on base. We had no broken bones or obvious wounds. The next morning I woke up with excruciating head pain. Getting through work was nearly impossible. I assumed I had a concussion that would resolve over time. Instead, things got worse. In addition to having headaches, I started feeling depressed and became more forgetful.
Five months later, at my duty station in Lakenheath, England, I sustained a concussion when a baton accidentally hit my head during a routine training exercise. I went to the medical facility and had a brain scan, which didn't reveal any abnormalities.
After my honorable discharge from the Air Force in 2016, I filed disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs and eventually saw a neurologist at the VA hospital in Gainesville, FL. I underwent an MRI and a complete examination and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. For my headaches, the neurologist recommended a portable device called Cefaly, which transmits mild electric currents to the trigeminal nerve through an adhesive electrode. The device has provided consistent pain relief over the years and has helped normalize my life. I also discovered that doing outdoor activities, like hiking, helped me feel sharper and less depressed.
Every weekend, my husband, Anthony, and I would hike local trails. Then we started going on longer treks. In 2022 I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina with a group of fellow veterans. As my headaches became more manageable, I felt like I could handle more challenging trails. Through an outdoor adventure group, Anthony and I learned about a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Climbing a mountain that high (19,340 feet) seemed impossible, but Anthony suggested we train for it. For months we took longer and longer hikes while carrying more than 30 pounds on our backs—the amount we would be carrying up Mount Kilimanjaro. My doctors cleared me for the trip as long as I worked closely with the medical guides on the hike to check my vitals twice a day.
On March 12, 2023, our group, including my husband, reached the summit. I had been worried that I would get headaches as we gained higher altitudes. But by staying hydrated, eating well, listening to music, talking with fellow hikers, and following the advice of our medical guides, I made it to the top in good health. I'm not sure of my next adventure, but I know I can climb any mountain—and overcome any obstacle. —As told to Paul Wynn
