Patrick Wingert grew up in Western Springs, Illinois, learning early how to grind. Youth sports - especially football - taught him how to take a hit, lead a team, and get back up without complaint. But it was restaurants that hardened his edge. The heat, the chaos, the discipline of hospitality shaped his leadership style: show up early, work with purpose, elevate the people around you.
Off hours, Patrick chased in a gym and on freedom on a motorcycle - long stretches of road, miles, and the kind of stubborn independence that would later save him.
On November 1, 2020, everything changed. A car struck him on his way to work, costing him his left leg and launching him into a fight far harder than anything he’d faced on a field or in a kitchen. Recovery was slow, painful, and relentless. His mantra became simple and non-negotiable: “Life is hard. Be harder.”
With a push from his friend Keri at Dare2Tri, he stepped into adaptive sports and found a new arena: paratriathlon. The grind felt honest. The competition felt familiar. The fire came back.
In 2022, Patrick became the first American - and first below-knee amputee - to thru-hike the 250-mile Trans Bhutan Trail, a journey that tested his endurance, patience, and willingness to sit with discomfort in every form.
Now entering ATF’s Hyper Program, Patrick brings the same grit that has defined every chapter of his life - from youth sports to kitchens to mountains. He’s focused, rebuilt, and hungry for the next challenge. Taking on a competitive race calendar in 2026, Paratriathlon Nationals is already on his horizon.
