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Meet Adaptive Athlete: Michael Brown

 

 

Sgt Michael Brown, US Army, Ret.

 

DOB: August 13th, 1974

DOI: September 2008

Injury: Degenerative Disc and Artificial Hip

Michael Brown Headshot

Michael was known as the kid with a mohawk growing up in his small East Texas town. At his 5’8” frame, he excelled in powerlifting and football, starting every year. He graduated from high school in 1993 and enlisted in the Marine Corps later that year, becoming a driver for the Logistics Vehicle System, also known as the Dragon Wagon.

He was first deployed to Cuba, spending a year and a half there. His next deployment was a year in Japan. Not long after, his enlistment papers were up, and he got out of the Army in 1997.

At the age of 23, Michael was looking for his next steps. He was interested in pursuing powerlifting, but broke a vertebrae in his lower back while squatting 500lbs and re-injured himself, later rupturing 3 discs. At this point Michael was missing the military and decided to re-enlist in early 2000.

After being stationed in Hawaii for three years, Michael was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 for 11 months where he was attached to the Kilo 3/6 Marines - taking cargo dropped off by planes from an airfield and dispersing it to different locations. On one trip, while he was transporting 17 Marines, his vehicle flipped, giving him a concussion and compression fractures. At the time, he didn’t address it and stayed through his deployment.

While back in Hawaii, preparing for his next deployment to Iraq, it was discovered that Michael has undiagnosed compression fractures and three broken discs. He tried rehabbing and pain management, but had to medically discharge in June of 2006.

Post-military retirement, Michael found his way into private contracting for the US Government, spending most of his time from 2007 to 2015 in Iraq. He started off working as an MRAP mechanic before switching to a private security contractor. In September 2008, Michael ruptured more of his discs, needing an artificial disc replacement surgery, where he had a cage put in at the L5 to S1 vertebrae. He continued working up until 2015 when the VA re-evaluated him and he officially retired. Since then, Michael has been coaching powerlifting at his local hospital and doing private security for celebrities and other individuals.

Michael is hoping the ReDefine program will help him find his purpose again. He is recently coming off another back surgery and will use this class to help rehab and get back to 100% again. Along with that, he wants to have a strong focus in both nutrition and mindset and meditation techniques.

 

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