Emma Lucy Cole, a PhD student at the University of Bristol, has graduated with a doctorate in English Literature despite suffering a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle crash in Iceland three years ago. The accident led to post-concussion syndrome, forcing her to take a year off from her studies and halt her lecturing career. With university support, she rebuilt her academic path and is now planning a move to Scotland to resume her professional life.
Three years ago, Cole joined an organized riding tour in Iceland, where she was involved in a crash that triggered severe post-concussion syndrome. She experienced migraines, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and memory loss, which erased her recollection of her own research. Cole had to pause her PhD work and step away from lecturing roles at the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol, as well as her pursuits in adventure sports and public speaking at events like adventure festivals and the Royal Geographical Society. “Prior to the injury I was a lecturer at the University of Exeter and taught Liberal Arts at Bristol, was an adventurer, trail runner and spoke at adventure festivals and the Royal Geographical Society. All of that was lost after the accident,” Cole said in a University of Bristol release this winter. “I was exhausted. But this was a different kind of exhaustion. My loss of memory meant that I had forgotten all my research and had to go back to my uncompleted thesis with fresh eyes as I couldn’t recall what I had done and how I had come to the conclusions I had.” Supported by the University of Bristol, Cole persevered and earned her doctorate. She is now rebuilding her life alongside her partner, Iain, with plans to relocate to Scotland for academic writing, teaching, music, and gentle outdoor activities.
