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Meet Adaptive Athlete: JOHN EDWARD

 

 

SSgt John Edward, USMC, Ret.

 

DOB: February 8th, 1991

DOI: May 21st, 2021

Injury: Below Knee Amputation

22 John Edward Headshot

John grew up in and out of the foster care system. Once he was old enough, John worked which left little time for sports and other extracurricular activities. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and immediately found his competitive side. It was then that John developed a passion for weight lifting and pursued it alongside his military career. 

 

John was struck by a vehicle stateside that shattered the left side of his body with lasting damage to his knee and below. Right after he was stationed in Germany working as an Anti-Terrorist Officer,  but he ultimately had to return to the states where he underwent 12 surgeries to salvage and reconstruct his leg. After much frustration and little success, John opted for a below the knee amputation on May 21st, 2021.

 

Six days later, he was back in the gym. This new found freedom ignited his fire in the weight room. He is now striving for big goals with Olympic lifting. He wants to come to ATF not only for the physical improvements, but to gain knowledge in training as an adaptive athlete. Beyond that, John wants to continue to be a force multiplier in both the lives of the kids he coaches and those who follow his journey.

 

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