[MUSIC] >> ON THE VERY FIRST TURN OF THE VERY LAST SEMIFINAL HEAT AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS LAST YEAR, REIGNING BMX RACING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CONNOR FIELDS CRASHED AND SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES INCLUDING LIFE-THREATENING BRAIN HEMORRHAGES.

NOW, AFTER ALMOST A YEAR OF RECOVERY, CONNOR FIELDS JOINS US THIS WEEK FOR "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON."

[MUSIC] >> SUPPORT FOR "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON" IS PROVIDED BY SENATOR WILLIAM H. HERNSTADT.

AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING SPONSORS.

>> WELCOME TO "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON."

I'M AMBER RENEE DIXON.

CONNOR FIELDS STARTED RIDING BMX WHEN HE WAS JUST SEVEN YEARS OLD AT NELLIS BMX IN LAS VEGAS.

IN 2016, HE BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN TO WIN OLYMPIC BMX GOLD.

BUT AT THE VERY NEXT OLYMPICS, A CRASH NEARLY TOOK HIS LIFE.

NOW, HE'S USING THE HARD-FOUGHT LESSONS THAT HE LEARNED ON THE BMX TRACK AND DURING HIS RECOVERY TO MOTIVATE OTHERS.

CONNOR FIELDS, WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> YEAH, NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

I WISH IT WAS UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WINNING ANOTHER GOLD, BUT, HEY, WE'RE HERE.

>> OH, MY GOSH, PRIOR TO US GOING ON TO RECORD, I THOUGHT I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU WERE OR IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN.

HAVE YOU MADE A FULL RECOVERY?

AM I JUMPING THE GUN?

>> YES, IT'S A REALLY TOUGH THING, BECAUSE NOBODY EVER TAKES STOCK OF HOW THEY FEEL RIGHT BEFORE THEY HAVE A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

NOBODY IS TAKING A TEST TO SAY, OKAY, JUST IN CASE I HAVE BRAIN HEMORRHAGING TOMORROW, THIS IS MY BASELINE, THIS IS MY NORMAL.

SO, PHYSICALLY, I'M, WITHOUT A DOUBT, 100%.

I HAD SHOULDER RECONSTRUCTION.

MY BROKEN RIBS HAVE HEALED.

MY LUNGS ARE OKAY.

BUT FROM THE BRAIN POINT OF VIEW IT'S LIKE I THINK I'M RECOVERED.

I CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT I COULD DO BEFOREHAND.

I FEEL NORMAL.

EVERYBODY AROUND ME TELLS ME I'M THE SAME.

SO I THINK I'M GOOD.

BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO TEST THAT.

THERE'S NO WAY TO 100% KNOW, WHICH IS KIND OF SCARY.

BUT I'M DOING ALL RIGHT.

>> OKAY.

BUT IN COMPARISON TO HOW YOU FIRST WERE WHEN YOU WERE INITIALLY RECOVERING, HOW GOOD WERE YOUR SPEAKING SKILLS, YOUR MEMORY SKILLS, ET CETERA?

>> NOT GOOD AT ALL.

I DEFINITELY HAD SOME ISSUES.

AND I LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RECOVERY BUT THE PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT I INJURED, THE THINGS THAT THEY CONTROL, WERE AFFECTED.

SO MY FRONTAL LOBE WAS THE MOST INJURED PART.

AND THAT IS KIND OF YOUR FILTER, YOUR COGNITIVE FUNCTION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO DOING A SIMPLE CROSSWORD PUZZLE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY BEFORE THE INJURY WAS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO THINK THROUGH.

I ALSO DIDN'T HAVE VERY GOOD SOCIAL SKILLS.

I WOULD SAY ANYTHING TO ANYBODY AT ANY TIME.

LIKE MY FILTER DIDN'T EXIST, WHICH WAS SCARY.

I GOT KICKED OUT OF AN IHOP.

AND I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS DOING ANYTHING WRONG.

MY BRAIN JUST WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY.

AND THEN MY MEMORY.

I HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH MEMORY.

AND FATIGUE AND ENERGY.

I WOULD JUST FALL ASLEEP RANDOMLY ALL THE TIME.

IT WAS SCARY.

BUT WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WAS, AS I GOT BETTER, AS MORE TIME PASSED, I BEGAN TO KIND OF -- MY PERSONALITY BEGAN TO SHINE THROUGH MORE.

AND SO WHAT THAT MEANT WAS THAT I STARTED TO WORK AT THIS RECOVERY THE SAME WAY I WOULD WORK AT ANYTHING ELSE.

SO I GOT MORE AND MORE DEDICATED TO IT.

SO AFTER ABOUT EIGHT TO 12 WEEKS, WHEN I STARTED TO BE MORE MYSELF, THEN I JUST DOVE IN, NO PUN INTENDED, HEAD FIRST INTO MY RECOVERY AND DOING EVERYTHING AND GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY FOR SIX MONTHS WAS DEDICATED TO FULL RECOVERY.

I CHANGED MY DIET.

I CHANGED MY SLEEPING HABITS.

I WENT TO A HYPERBARIC CHAMBER EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I DID EVERYTHING THAT MY THERAPISTS WERE TELLING ME TO DO THREE TIMES.

LIKE I WENT NUTS WITH THIS, BECAUSE IF THERE'S EVER ANYTHING TO PRIORITIZE AND WORK ON, IT'S YOUR LIFE; IT'S YOUR RECOVERY.

IT'S BEING NORMAL.

LIKE THAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING.

>> AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO WORK ON, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, OR DID THE FOCUS BECOME MORE MENTAL?

>> THE FOCUS WOULD BE MORE MENTAL.

AT THE END OF THE DAY I'D RATHER HAVE MY BRAIN WORKING PROPERLY THAN HAVE AN ARM OR A LEG THAT DOESN'T QUITE WORK RIGHT, AND HAVING YOUR BODY WORKING PROPERLY BUT YOUR BRAIN NOT WORK.

IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED IT.

IT IS TERRIFYING WHEN YOUR BRAIN DOESN'T WORK.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO AND YOU CAN'T DO IT.

OR, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY HARD FOR A LONG TIME WAS BEING IN A LOUD PLACE.

I COULDN'T BE IN A LOUD PLACE FOR MONTHS.

AND SO GOING AND SITTING IN A COFFEE SHOP WAS HARD BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON.

I NEEDED TO BE IN A QUIET LOCATION.

LIKE GOING OUT TO DINNER WAS LIKE MY WEEKLY OUTING BECAUSE IT WAS SO DIFFICULT.

SO THAT REALLY PUTS IT IN PERSPECTIVE.

NOT ONLY HOW AMAZING THE HUMAN BRAIN IS, BUT ALSO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE GOOD FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN.

>> IS THAT WHAT LED TO THE INCIDENT AT IHOP, THE OVERWHELMING NOISE?

>> NO, THAT WAS MORE -- AS I LEARNED THROUGH MY RECOVERY -- WITH THE FRONTAL LOBE, WITH THE PART THAT I INJURED, WHAT I CALL A FILTER EXISTS.

WE ALL HAVE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETAL NORMS, OF WHAT WE SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DO IN A GIVEN SITUATION.

LIKE, I'M NOT GOING TO GET UP RIGHT NOW AND THROW THIS CHAIR BECAUSE I'M ANGRY.

BUT THAT PART OF MY BRAIN WASN'T WORKING.

IF I WAS MAD, I WOULD HAVE PICKED THE CHAIR UP AND THROWN IT.

I WOULDN'T HAVE REALIZED I WAS DOING ANYTHING WRONG, THOUGH.

IN IHOP, I SAW SOMETHING ON MY PHONE THAT ANGERED ME.

I JUST GOT REALLY UPSET AND STARTED CARRYING ON IN SUCH A WAY THAT I WOULD NEVER NORMALLY DO.

BUT MY BRAIN JUST WASN'T WORKING.

WHICH WAS REALLY SCARY FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.

NOT JUST FOR MYSELF BUT LIKE MY DAD AND MY FIANÉE ARE SITTING THERE LOOKING AT ME LIKE, OH, MY GOODNESS, IS HE GOING TO BE LIKE THIS FOREVER, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT OKAY.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, BUT THESE KIND OF EXPERIENCES HAVE TO BE TRAUMATIC IN AND OF THEMSELVES, KNOWING THAT YOUR BRAIN IS NOT WORKING LIKE IT SHOULD.

>> TOTALLY.

AND IT'S WEIRD WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS A MOMENT AGO BEFORE WE STARTED ROLLING.

YOUR BRAIN IS THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT WORKING RIGHT.

IT'S THIS CONSTANT, LIKE, CYCLE OF YOUR BRAIN THINKING ABOUT ITSELF AND ANALYZING ITSELF AND JUDGING ITSELF.

AND AS I GOT BETTER, I COULD KIND OF TELL THAT IT WASN'T WORKING RIGHT.

AND THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART.

LIKE IN THE FIRST MONTH, I DIDN'T KNOW.

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

I WAS PRETTY MUCH JUST CLUELESS.

BUT AS I BEGAN TO RECOVER AND THINGS STARTED TO GET BETTER, I WAS VERY HYPERAWARE THAT IT WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY.

THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART BECAUSE I WOULD LOOK AT A RIDDLE, WHICH IS PART OF MY THERAPY, I WOULD HAVE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

AND IT WOULD BE LIKE A THIRD-GRADE LEVEL RIDDLE.

AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO [SNAPPING FINGERS] FIGURE IT OUT BUT I COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT.

IT WOULD BE FRUSTRATING BECAUSE MY BRAIN WOULDN'T CONNECT.

I LEARNED ALL ABOUT NEURO PATHWAYS IN THE BRAIN AND WHAT HAPPENS, AND PART OF THE INJURY I HAD WAS BRAIN SHEARING, WHICH IS JUST AS HORRIBLE AS IT SOUNDS.

YOU'RE LITERALLY SHEARING THE CONNECTIONS IN YOUR BRAIN.

SO WHEN THEY SAY IT'S LIKE RIDING A BIKE, YOU NEVER FORGET.

WHEN I RIDE A BIKE, YOU CREATE A PATHWAY IN YOUR BRAIN THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO RIDE THAT BIKE.

IF YOU LEARN HOW TO JUGGLE, YOU CREATE A PATHWAY IN YOUR BRAIN THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO JUGGLE.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T JUGGLE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, WHEN YOU PICK IT BACK UP, IT'S EASIER TO RELEARN BECAUSE THAT PATHWAY EXISTS.

YOU'RE JUST HAVING TO DUST OFF THE COBWEBS OF THAT PATHWAY.

SO WHEN I SHEARED MY BRAIN, I DESTROYED THOSE CONNECTIONS.

SO HAD I LEARNED HOW TO JUGGLE OR KNOWN HOW TO JUGGLE, I WOULDN'T KNOW ANYMORE.

AND I WOULD HAVE TO COMPLETELY RELEARN IT.

I WAS ESSENTIALLY HAVING TO RELEARN ALL THE STUFF I SHOULD ALREADY KNOW.

THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO RELEARN IT ALL.

BUT IT WAS REALLY SCARY WHEN I COULDN'T DO IT.

>> TALKING ABOUT A SHEARED BRAIN, JUST MAKES ME THINK OF A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE I READ ABOUT YOU.

AND IT STARTED OFF WITH HOW YOU HAD YOUR SHREDDED UNIFORM FROM THAT OLYMPICS STILL IN YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM HUNG UP AND YOUR PANTS.

>> I THINK WHEN THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER CAME, I HAD JUST FINALLY WASHED IT.

IT HAD BEEN SITTING IN A BAG FOR A WHILE.

I THINK WHEN HE CAME IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM.

BUT IT'S NOT STILL SITTING IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM.

I'VE GOT EVERYTHING IN A BOX AND IT'S ALL KIND OF PUT AWAY.

MOST OF MY OTHER OLYMPIC STUFF IS ON DISPLAY.

BUT I DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE REMINDED OF THIS ONE ALL THE TIME.

SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE ONE DAY I'LL DISPLAY THIS STUFF NEXT TO MY LONDON AND MY RIO STUFF.

BUT FOR NOW IT'S IN A BOX.

>> HOW HAVE YOU RECKONED WITH THE SPORT?

WHERE ARE YOU AT THIS POINT?

IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE STILL AN ADVOCATE FOR?

IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT YOUR OWN KID TO DO?

>> SO WHAT'S CRAZY -- AND I GUESS THIS IS THE SAME FOR ANY MAJOR ACCIDENT, HAD I BEEN ONE INCH FURTHER FORWARD OR BACK, NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

IT WAS JUST THIS PERFECT CIRCUMSTANCE OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT ENDED UP THIS WAY.

THIS MIGHT SOUND CRAZY TO MOST PEOPLE BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WHEN I GOT THE ALL CLEAR, LIKE YOU'RE FULLY HEALTHY I WENT AND I RODE.

SAFE AT MY OWN COMFORTABLE PACE, BUT I DIDN'T WANT THE LAST TIME I RODE AFTER COMPETING FOR 22 YEARS TO BE THAT.

AT THE TIME I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER.

>> YES, PLEASE TELL ME HOW MUCH DO YOU REMEMBER OF THAT INCIDENT?

>> NOTHING.

I HAVE FIVE DAYS MISSING.

SO I REMEMBER THE DAY BEFORE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT DAY OR THE NEXT FOUR.

AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITHIN ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THE INJURY FEELS A LITTLE FOGGY.

LIKE I CAN REMEMBER IT, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

BUT YEAH, I STILL RIDE FOR FUN AT MY OWN PACE, WHAT I'M COMFORTABLE AT.

AND I'M STILL ACTIVELY COACHING, AND I'M INVOLVED IN THE SPORT.

I LOOK AT IT FROM A LOGICAL PERSPECTIVE AND NOT TOO EMOTIONAL AND KNOW THAT HAD A COUPLE THINGS JUST BEEN AN INCH DIFFERENT, NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE SAME FOR A LOT OF THINGS.

LIKE HOW MANY OF US HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT?

BUT WE WEREN'T.

AND HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DID GET IN A CAR ACCIDENT, HAD THEY HIT THAT ONE EXTRA RED LIGHT, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

SO IT'S LIKE KIND OF, WE'RE GOING DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE OF THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, THIS HAPPENS, IT LEADS TO THIS.

THIS HAPPENS, IT LEADS TO THIS.

I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK IN THE ONE BAD THING THAT HAPPENED AND FORGET ABOUT THE 22 YEARS OF GOOD THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HELMET YOU WERE WEARING?

>> I FULLY THINK THAT THE HELMET THAT I WAS WEARING SAVED MY LIFE.

THERE ARE OTHER HELMETS THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE CERTIFICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED.

AND NO WAY OF KNOWING, BUT THERE'S CERTAIN ONES THAT I FEEL IF I WAS WEARING I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD ON IMPACT.

I SENT THE HELMET BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO I KNOW AND HAVE BEEN A PARTNER WITH FOR 14 YEARS, AND THEY SENT IT TO THEIR ENGINEERS.

THEY TOOK THE WHOLE THING APART.

THEY ANALYZED IT.

AND THEY SENT ME BACK A REPORT OF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

AND THE HELMET DID EXACTLY WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO ON IMPACT.

WHAT CAUSED IT, PART OF WHAT CAUSED IT TO BE SO BAD IS WHERE I HIT WAS RIGHT HERE.

AND YOU NEED -- THE HELMET NEEDS TO BE OPEN FOR YOUR EYES.

SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE.

SO IF YOU HIT ON THE SIDE, IT'S GOT 360 DEGREES IMPACT CAN SPREAD.

BUT IF YOU HIT IT NEXT TO THE EDGE OF THE HELMET, IT'S ONLY GOT 180 DEGREES THAT IT CAN SPREAD.

SO THE SIDES, THE BOTTOM, LIKE WHERE THE HELMET ENDS, IS USUALLY THE WORST PLACE TO HIT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPREAD THE IMPACT AS MUCH.

>> WOW.

OKAY.

>> SO I LEARNED WAY MORE ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF THAN I EVER WANTED TO LEARN.

>> WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR YOU THESE DAYS?

>> IT'S GOOD.

SO I TURNED 30 THIS YEAR.

AND TOKYO WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE MY FINAL OLYMPICS.

I'VE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL FOR 12 YEARS.

AND I'VE ACHIEVED LITERALLY EVERYTHING THAT'S POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE IN OUR SPORT.

AND I WAS READY TO KIND OF OPEN THE NEXT CHAPTER AND MOVE ON.

NOT THE WAY I WANTED THE BOOK TO END.

BUT NOW I'M IN THIS FUN PART OF MY LIFE WHERE I GET TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP.

>> IT CAN BE SCARY, THOUGH, TOO.

>> IT IS.

IT'S LIKE I GOT TO DELAY THE DECISION.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT WHEN THEY'RE 18.

I GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT WHEN I WAS 30.

AND I HAVE A BUNCH OF AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAD DONE.

I CAN GET INTO FULL-TIME COACHING.

I CAN WORK FOR BRANDS, OPEN A BIKE COMPANY, OR I CAN JUST TAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN AND BE A BROADCASTER.

SO THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS I COULD DO.

AND THAT'S FUN AND EXCITING AND SCARY ALL AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH IS FUN, SCARY AND EXCITING THE WHOLE TIME.

>> BUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH YOU SHOULDN'T BE SCARED.

>> DEFINITELY PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THIS STUFF.

I'M ALIVE AND HEALTHY.

IT REALLY BACKS IT UP AND PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE WHERE, LIKE, I CAN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND I COULD DO WHATEVER I WANT.

WHEREAS, THERE WAS TIMES WE WEREN'T SURE IF THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CASE.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW, IT'S EASY TO BE MORE THANKFUL AND A LITTLE BIT LESS STRESSED.

>> CONNOR FIELDS, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.

AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON."

TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS, GO TO OUR WEBSITE, VEGASPBS.ORG/NEVADAWEEKINPERSON.