Psychedelics, TBIs & The Healing Journey of Athletes: Recap of Athletes Journey Home Film Screening & Panel
What happens after the final bell rings?
After the last wave is surfed?
After the stadium lights fade and the crowd goes home?
For many professional athletes, the real battle begins once the sport ends—especially for those who’ve suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). At District216, we recently had the honor of exploring this often-hidden truth through a deeply moving and revelatory evening: the screening of Athletes Journey Home, followed by a live panel with some of the brave athletes behind the movement.
Directed by and starring Ian McCall, a retired MMA fighter turned psychedelic integration coach, Athletes Journey Home is a short documentary that shines a light on the neuro-emotional toll of high-impact sports—and how psychedelics are helping athletes heal, reset, and find purpose after trauma.
What makes this movement unique is its origin story: the founders saw how veterans were healing from PTSD and TBI through psychedelic-assisted therapy. They asked—what if we could apply the same model to another highly traumatized population?
Enter: athletes.
After the screening, we welcomed a powerful trio to the stage for an intimate, no-holds-barred panel discussion and audience Q&A:
Ian McCall – Former UFC fighter, now leading the charge with The McCall Method and Athletes Journey Home. Ian shared his raw personal journey—from addiction and despair to psychedelic healing and advocacy.
Mark “The Shark” Irwin – Bare-knuckle boxing world champion and Hall of Fame inductee, Mark shocked the crowd with his story of fighting every match on high-dose psilocybin mushrooms. His belief in the healing power of psychedelics is now fueling his mission to bring research, funding, and awareness to this space.
Giorgio Gomez – Pro surfer who spoke vulnerably about the brain trauma endured in the waves. Surfing might not look like a high-contact sport, but Giorgio reminded us that smashing down on reefs and hard water at high speeds can absolutely cause TBIs, and that many surfers quietly suffer the long-term effects.
Together, they wove a compelling narrative of healing, performance, identity loss, ego death, and rebirth—themes that resonated deeply with our community.
Athletes Journey Home is now conducting psychedelic research studies on TBI and trauma recovery, bringing scientific rigor to what many have already experienced firsthand: these medicines work.
Their work is pioneering new approaches to:
Neuroplasticity and TBI recovery
Psychedelic therapy as an alternative to pharmaceuticals
Identity transformation after athletic retirement
Community-based models of healing and reintegration
As Ian said on stage: “We’re not just trying to help athletes survive… we’re helping them live fully.”
At District216, we believe in building bridges between lived experience, scientific research, and conscious community. This night reminded us that the healing path isn’t linear—and that some of the most powerful voices in the psychedelic movement are those who’ve taken the hardest hits.
From the octagon to the ocean, these athletes are stepping forward to tell their stories, break the stigma, and fight for access to the very tools that saved them.
The Athletes Journey Home project is seeking support to expand its research, reach more athletes, and fund healing programs rooted in psychedelics, community, and holistic recovery.
👉 Donate, share their story, and help normalize this path to healing.
Every dollar, every share, and every conversation matters.
📍 Visit theathletesjourneyhome.com
📬 Follow them on Instagram: @athletesjourneyhome
💸 Donate to support ongoing TBI & trauma studies
District216 is honored to uplift this movement.
Together, let’s change how we heal—one brain, one story, one community at a time. 💜
