Rock N’ 4 Ryan was created to help advance research of TBI and its link to veteran suicide. The event also served as a platform for participants to discuss the challenges veterans with brain injuries face.

During his deployments, Ryan Larkin saw heavy combat that required breaching through walls and doors with powerful explosions. His service also exposed him to improvised explosive devices, known as IEDs. As a result, Larkin experienced headaches, insomnia, trouble concentrating and irritability. Friends noted a sharp change in behavior. Despite seeking help from the medical community for several years, his condition went without an accurate diagnosis. In 2017, Larkin ended his own life.

“Ryan suffered from microscopic tears to his brain so small they weren’t able to be diagnosed while he was alive,” said Rock N’ 4 Ryan co-founder and Larkin’s longtime best friend Max Petit.”I’ve heard it referred to as an invisible wound; the impact it was having wasn’t invisible.”

“We talked a lot about how so many veterans get diagnosed with PTSD once they start having symptoms like Ryan’s. They’re given medications and treatment for PTSD that just don’t help their problems go away” said Petit, “That’s because, a lot of the time, the problem is much more than PTSD.”

Proceeds of the tournament will be donated to Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB), a non-profit organization using scientific research, data analytics and biotechnology to create better diagnostics and treatments for brain disorders.

“We wanted to support Cohen Veterans Bioscience because how they approach treatment for veterans resonated with us,” said Robyn Bollhorst, co-founder of Rock N’ 4 Ryan. “There are other organizations out there offering helplines and therapy‚ and those are great, but as employees of the tech industry, we appreciate CVB is using research and cutting-edge technology to solve these problems, and we knew it would resonate with our participants, some of whom were veterans, as well.”

To learn more, donate or participate in the tournament, visit RockN4Ryan.com.

Read more about the 2022 tournament and its mission.