Saul Raisin literally was born to ride a bicycle.

As a child growing up in Dalton, Ga., Raisin was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s kyphoscoliosis, which caused a pronounced curvature of his spine. The defect also resulted in an enlarged chest cavity and the greater lung and heart capacity helpful for an elite cyclist.

This genetic gift along with the skill and perseverance to train for hours at a time earned Raisin a spot on the USA Cycling Under 23 Development Team and later a contract with the prestigious French team Crédit Agricole. He won the Best Young Rider award in the 2003 Tour de Georgia and had a bright future in cycling.

Raisin tells of a 2005 training ride with seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. Armstrong’s then-girlfriend Sheryl Crow was following in a car to offer support.

“It’s kind of surreal to be riding with Lance with a rock star in the car behind you filling water bottles for you,” Raisin recalls.

But his dream of winning the Tour de France and a long career as a professional cyclist came to an end on April 4, 2006, with a horrific crash in the Circuit de la Sarthe race in France. Raisin suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him in a near-death coma with little chance of making a recovery.

Emergency surgery saved his life, but doctors said he’d likely never walk again and certainly would never ride a bicycle. Raisin’s parents, Jim and Yvonne, were told to prepare for the worst.

“Every second that I remained alive was considered a miracle,” Raisin said Thursday in a speech to a group of Unum employees in Chattanooga. “The doctors told my family that because of the damage in my brain ... my left side would be paralyzed for life, like a stroke victim.”

But Raisin channeled the determination that made him an elite cyclist into proving his doctors wrong. With the help of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, he learned to walk again and in less than a year was back riding a bicycle again.

“Less than 1 percent of people with injuries like Saul’s come back like this. Most people with brain injury can never function,” Yvonne Raisin said. “So we are blessed. Some days it’s hard ... but we’re very thankful.”

The injury ended his pro cycling career, but his recovery continues and he’s found a new focus for his life — raising money and awareness for victims of traumatic brain injury.

It is reported that 1.4 million people annually sustain traumatic brain injuries. The number of cases is on the rise among members of the U.S. military injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With the help of friends and his parents, Saul established the Raisin Hope Foundation to benefit organizations that treat TBI victims and promote awareness of this injury. In addition, Raisin has written “Tour de Life” with Dave Shields to share the story of his injury and ongoing recovery. According to Raisin, his foundation has raised $60,000 in the past two years and he hopes to match that figure this year.

In addition to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, the Raisin Hope Foundation also benefits the Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation in Chattanooga, as well as Camp Twin Lakes, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the National Brain Injury Information Center.

It’s this cause that brought Raisin to Unum on Thursday morning. The insurance company’s group customer service department selects a charity for which to raise money each month, and service associate Ryan Davis — a young cyclist himself — asked Raisin to speak to the department about the Raisin Hope Foundation.

“I met Saul at a book signing and was pretty inspired by him,” Davis said. “We’ve never had a speaker before. We hear about these people we’re helping, but we never get to see them until today.”

Davis and his co-workers will raise money for the Raisin Hope Foundation throughout June, and Raisin got the drive off to a good start by selling several signed copies of his book after his presentation Thursday. Unum will match every dollar raised by its employees for the charity.

Raisin isn’t finished with sports just yet, either. He completed the New York City Marathon last fall in a respectable time of 4:27:10. His next goal is even more dramatic. He plans to travel this fall to Hawaii to complete the Ironman, a race that consists of a 2.4 mile-swim, a 112-mile bike segment and a 26.2-mile run.

In the past, Raisin was racing for his own glory, but now he is working to educate and inspire others about the issue of TBI. He ended his presentation at Unum by conducting an impromptu auction for an autographed bicycle jersey to raise a little more money for the Raisin Hope Foundation.

Tony Bombassi, Unum’s assistant vice president for group customer service, won the jersey with a winning bid of $125 but insisted that Raisin give the jersey to a young St. Jude patient.

“Someone asked why I didn’t give it to my kids,” Bombassi said. “My kids get plenty. I figure some kid there probably needs some hope.”

With Saul Raisin on the job, there will continue to be more hope — and inspiration — for victims of traumatic brain injury.