Meet Adaptive Athlete: Dennis Schlitzkus

Dennis Schlitzkus grew up in Lebanon, Oregon, where life revolved around the outdoors, reading, camping, snowboarding, and working hard on the farm. He joined the Army in 1996, serving first in artillery and later transferring to heavy combat engineering.

 

In 2002, during a training exercise at Fort Polk, Dennis fell while exiting a dozer, landing hard on the edge of the track and striking his head and back in the process. The injury led to chronic pain and lasting physical challenges, and he was medically discharged in 2003. Recovery has been ongoing ever since, as Dennis is continually learning how to adapt to different obstacles in life.

 

Dennis hopes the Hyper program can be the start to rebuild belief in himself. His goals all work toward living a long life filled with movement, purpose, and renewed confidence.