A member of the Army Reserves for a decade, Dan Rose was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device in 2011 while in Afghanistan. The blast was estimated to have come from approximately 1,000 pounds of explosive and him left paralyzed from the chest down.
However, after getting access to advanced medical technology, Dan Rose remains active, regularly downhill skiing and wheelchair racing. He also plays sled hockey, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair football. He enjoys hand cycling, mountain biking, and he has recently picked up riding a longboard skateboard from his chair. Dan’s always enjoyed living an active lifestyle, and thanks to SoldierStrong, that hasn’t changed since his injury.
“I had given up on walking and thought of it as a pipe dream, so to be able to stand on my own two feet and walk across a room was a very emotional experience. The first time I stood up (I realized) I’d forgotten what it was like to be eye level with everyone. It was like standing on top of a mountain.”