Meet Adaptive Athlete: Carl Cunningham

Carl grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio where he took a liking to martial arts, basketball, and football growing up. These team sports gave him a strong sense of community and camaraderie from an early age. He went on to graduate high school in 1997 where he then enlisted in the United States Army where he served dutifully for 24 years. 

 

Carl’s military service consisted of 15 operational deployments, eight of them to combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. He spent the majority of his career within Special Operations and aviation units, ascending to the rank of Command Sergeant Major during his tenure. Closing out his service, Carl completed a medical board review and was processed out of the Army. 

 

Following his retirement in 2021, Carl has struggled to maintain a solid routine due to his brain injuries sustained over a truly impressive career within the Army. He has struggled through ups and downs since his service and hopes to continue on his path of healing during his time at ATF. Carl’s main goals are learning how to strengthen his body again so he can move around better as he gets older, in order to be around for his grandchildren.