Medical Condition
Michael Fattaruso Michael has dedicated his life to making a difference in both land and sea. Working at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as an animal and conservation educator, Michael braves the Florida heat to spread his enthusiasm for wildlife conservation with park guests. His role involves educating guests observing the animal habitats about the importance of connecting with nature…
John Martinson John has always had a love and appreciation for sports and the outdoors. He can often be found riding his motorcycle, hunting, fishing, or swimming. After an injury, a little over 20 years ago, that appreciation has only expanded. 21 years ago while painting his shop ceiling at home, John fell 12 feet…
Todd is an athlete, pure and simple. He has enjoyed many sports throughout his life, and that drive continues today, though now it is all adaptive. His athleticism and his training as a chiropractor have been true assets as he now navigates life in a wheelchair. Todd was just enjoying a cup of coffee one…
Adam Cherney, US Marines Adam always knew he would join the military, as his grandfather, father, and mother served their country; his father was a Marine, and his mother was a member of the US Navy. So, after high school, he set a goal to get healthy and joined the US Marines in 2011. Seven months into training, Adam…
Staff Sgt. Brian Dupree, US Air Force “Originally, I signed up for the educational benefits but during my 1st term, I deployed to the Middle East and everything changed. I quickly realized that my work in telecommunications had a direct connection to the warfighter and gave them a critical lifeline when calling for support. It…
Former Lance Corporal Benjamin Hetrick, USMC Ben’s life changed forever when he was in a motorcycle accident in 2012. The crash caused a complete break of his spinal cord at the T-12 vertebra, paralyzing him completely from the waist down. His ordeal reminds us of the dangers faced on the road daily. However, Ben has…
Shane Hultine Shane was born in rural Illinois and attended local community college before moving up to Northern Illinois University. He acquired a B.S. in Industrial Engineering Technologies and Management. He then moved to Aurora, Illinois to work as an assistant manager at a local production facility. Things were on the right track for Shane…
Ryan Lambert of Waco, Texas was on the fast-track to athletic success. An accomplished high school football player, Ryan Lambert had been negotiating with a number of colleges about signing on to play. However, nothing could prepare Ryan or his family for the tragedy that occurred in his junior year. He had been driving to…
Steve Holbert Retired Corporal Steve Holbert, US Marines, joined the Marines right out of high school at age 17. He spent four years serving his country as an avionics technician. He then left the marines and continued the same occupation as a civilian. All the while pursuing his dream of becoming a pilot. Eventually working his…
Retired Major Waheed “Wu” Khan, USMC Retired Major Waheed was born in England and served in the US Marine Corps for 24 years with multiple commands and deployments, including the first Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Colombia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His American counterparts took his initials W.U. Khan from the back of his uniform and created…