Army veterans Dustin and his wife Lyndsey share a deep commitment to each other, their young son and our country. They also share a passionate love of running. Early in 2019, Dustin and Lyndsey were completing the required Army Physical Fitness Test with their unit. During the two mile run, Dustin collapsed, suffering an anoxic brain injury. This traumatic injury forced Dustin into retirement and has confined him to a wheelchair. However, using every piece of strength and determination he learned in his 13 years as an Army nurse, Dustin persevered and worked very hard to recover. A demanding regime of physical therapy along with other interventions has greatly aided his recovery.
Lyndsey is determined to keep Dustin running, so she has pushed him in his wheelchair to the finish line in many races. Always the competitor, Dustin has committed to completing a 10K each month, while Lyndsey is also running monthly half marathons. The veteran couple reached out to SALUTE, asking for help purchasing an adaptive running chair to continue Dustin’s quest to keep active. The new running chair is much easier for Lyndsey to push, while providing a more comfortable ride for Dustin. Next on their running bucket list: Running with Team SALUTE in the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon!
“…Our hopes and dreams were just starting and so quickly life became unknown…We are so very grateful to SALUTE for help with the adaptive running chair for Dustin and look forward to many future happenings with this very supportive organization. ” Lyndsey