Brain Health and Wellness Center

Austin and Concussion Treatment

Austin Returns to Competition Stronger than Ever Following Individualized Care Plan at Cincinnati Children’s

Kristin will never forget the 7 am wake-up call informing her that her son, Austin, had suffered a concussion.

Competing in France as a member of the USA Taekwondo Paralympic Program, it was Austin’s first international competition without his mom in attendance. 

As medical personnel spoke to Kristin about the logistics of her then 17-year-old son returning to the United States, she knew immediately where Austin would be treated: Cincinnati Children’s.

And based on their experience following Austin’s first concussion several years prior, Kristin had only one doctor in mind when she spoke with the Cincinnati Children’s scheduling team.

“They said, ‘we’re going to refer you to the concussion team,’ and I said no, you’re going to refer me to Dr. Gubanich because that’s the only doctor I want,” Kristin said.

Building a Strong Doctor/Patient Relationship

Paul J. Gubanich, MD, MPH, co-director of the BRAIN Health and Wellness Center (BHWC), first saw Austin five years ago at the Sports Medicine Center. After suffering his second concussion in July 2023, Austin said that Dr. Gubanich was the only doctor he wanted to see, as well.

“He truly helped me. From physically to mentally to emotionally. He did it all, honestly,” said Austin. “Every time he walked in the door, he’d always have a smile on his face. He was always trying to get me to laugh and smile. And it worked.”

According to Dr. Gubanich, several factors are involved in creating a strong doctor/patient relationship, including the importance of sustaining positivity, building trust and relying on mutual decision-making.

“Part of our approach within the BHWC is to ensure that patients understand their injury and the risks associated with it in the context of future activities,” said Dr. Gubanich. “Working together we define clear expectations in regard to level of participation and boundaries related to their activity level at each phase of their recovery.”

The BHWC offers three levels of clinics designed to meet each patient’s presentation and risk factors.  

“In Austin’s case, this included an integrated visit within our Advanced BHWC, which included access to our school specialist and behavioral psychologist so that a collaborative, comprehensive plan of care could be developed,” said Dr. Gubanich. 

Recovery and Return to Competition

The recovery period after Austin's second concussion was 120 days, which followed the recommended guidelines of the USA Paralympic team and aligned with Cincinnati Children’s recommendations. 

“The logistics and safeguards necessary to meet his goals of a safe return to competition did require some discussion and consideration in how we structured and supervised his plan of care,” said Dr. Gubanich. 

Many team members from across the hospital were involved in Austin’s recovery and return to competition, including a behavioral psychologist, physical therapists, athletic trainers and a psychiatrist.

“It was good to have someone to talk to about what I was going through,” said Austin. “It was a tough spot. I was not happy. I was not training. I was not competing or doing what I love. The psychiatrist made sure I was thinking better. She gave me tools to stay in a solid mindset.” 

Patients are seen by a diverse team of experts, and this is what separates the BRAIN Health and Wellness Center, said Dr. Gubanich.   

“The expertise of the brain injury team can cross more than 15 specialties, which is unique to Cincinnati Children’s compared to other institutions, both locally and nationally,” he said. 

Austin trusted Dr. Gubanich and the recovery plan put in place for him.

“[Dr. Gubanich] explained to me, ‘You’re going to get through this and you’re going to come back stronger and be a better person after getting on the other side of this,’” Austin said. 

“And I truly believe that gave me the confidence to continue and not to let doubt creep in.” 

Enjoying Travel and Competing All Around the World

Austin began taekwondo when he was 10 years old. He's always enjoyed competing, ever since his first participation with the USA Taekwondo Paralympic Program, which is the official adaptive team for the United States, when he was 15 years old. 

Para athletes compete in various disciplines, such as Kyorugi (sparring) for athletes like Austin with limb impairments and Poomsae (forms) for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Now 20, Austin is already a world traveler, having competed in countries all around the globe, including: Brazil (twice), Turkey, Bulgaria, France, Chile, Belgium, Mexico, Australia and his personal favorite, Serbia.

“Downtown Belgrade was very cool. Lots of friendly people. Everything was good,” said Austin.

In the future, Austin hopes to visit many more countries. At the top of his list are Japan, Egypt, Dubai, Germany and Malaysia. 

“There’s so much of the world to see,” said Austin, who is looking forward to future Team USA competitions, including the LA28 Paralympic Games scheduled for August 2028.

Kristin hopes to attend, as well. Like Austin, she enjoys traveling but is looking forward to destinations like Los Angeles beaches rather than Cincinnati Children’s clinics. 

“Hopefully we don't have to see Dr. Gubanich again,” Kristin said. “But if we ever do need to go down that route, he would be the one we prefer.”

(Published October 2025)