Austin, TX – It’s crazy how quickly life can change sometimes. Whether it’s for the good or the bad, anything on any day can happen that changes your life immediately. Leah Chyma, the founder of Knockin’ Noggins, experienced a sudden change in her life one night in 2018. How would she adjust? How would she learn from this? What could she do to help others? Hayden sat down with Leah to talk about her journey through a tragic accident that nearly took her life.

HS: Thanks for sitting down with us Leah! Give us a little background about yourself.

LC: I was born and bred in Iowa but have lived in Austin for over a decade. I love everything there is about Austin because the culture accepts the Hippie Weirdo that I am! I wanted to go to a place that would allow me to explore my passions in fitness and art. I’ve been doing art and fitness ever since I moved here and I love it. I definitely don’t miss the snow!

HS: Cool! So you spent some time in Austin, where did life take you next?

LC: Well, a bit of a crazy story that led to the start of Knockin’ Noggins. But one night in Austin when I was out for dinner with some friends my life changed forever. After dinner, we hopped on one of the Lime scooters and had a serious accident. I’m not sure what exactly caused the crash, but I woke up in the hospital. Next thing you know, I have spent the better half of a month in the hospital after suffering three skull fractures, three brain bleeds and was in a partial coma. Safe to say I am very happy to be here today!

HS: We’re so happy you’re ok! How did this transition into an actual business?

LC: Well, it started after I realized that I wanted to turn my art business into something a little more functional. The accident I had is a huge part of my life now, and right after the accident happened I started to do my own digging and learning about my own conditions. I had a good 2-3 months where I wasn’t working and had a chance to rehab when my friend actually ended up buying me a helmet as sort of a fun joke. They suggested that I draw something on the helmet to make it more fun! So, I started to experiment and it slowly turned into what it is today!

HS: What are your goals and mission behind the Knockin’ Noggins?

LC: The main goal is just spreading awareness of how important it is to wear a helmet. There are people that sustained the same injuries that I had that, unfortunately, aren’t alive to tell the story. So I asked myself; how can I take advantage of this second chance at life? What can I do to help others understand the importance of wearing a helmet? People often think it isn’t ‘cool’ to wear a helmet with a scooter, bike, or skateboard. All of these things were marinating in my head after the accident, so I decided to start Knockin’ Noggins after realizing this is the best way to explore my passion for art AND get my message across.

HS: Love. It. Can you speak to the design and what got you to the point of actually selling helmets?

LC: It took a lot of time from the initial idea to when I got my first sale. A lot of practice, trial and error, and further meditation and reflection was needed to really define the business. You lose a sense of your identity when you lose the ability to do things that you used to be able to do. Part of the Knockin’ Noggins mission statement is changing the way the world sees helmets through Education, Awareness, and Badass custom design. Defining this was HUGE for the business, and everything just seemed to ramp up from there. I was able to illustrate this mission to my audience and then over time, work with each customer to completely customize their helmet.

HS: I love the “custom” helmet aspect. You don’t get that everywhere. How does this process work for the customer?

LC: Yes! We go through two styles of helmets on our site. A sleek version, and a ‘budget’ version. Both are certified for cycling, skateboarding, scootering, and more, but the ‘sleek’ is more for active use. The ‘budget’ version is more for going for a quick beer or grocery run. After you pick your style, customers will work directly with me to determine their actual design. We also have different sizes all the way from kids to adults, so we have something for everyone!

Thanks, Leah, for all the great work you do!

Surprise! Leah made custom TDC Helmets!!

That’s right! Leah Knocked this one out of the park. She took every aspect of the Texas Distance Challenge turned it into a couple of badass helmet designs. Be sure to watch our IGTV interview with Leah.

One of these helmets will be given for TDC’s most recent photo contest, announced yesterday on Instagram. We will accept photo submissions up until Monday, October 5th. This should give y’all plenty of time to get that perfect photo!

But wait.. there’s more! These helmets are also available on the TDC mercantile! Just head over to our shop, click the Knockin’ Noggins link, and you will be redirected to Leah’s site. A portion of every helmet sold will be donated to St. David’s hospital in Austin, TX.

Buy those helmets, y’all!