Jason Johnson is an adaptive athlete and currently serves as the Recreation & Ocean Safety Supervisor for the City of Port Hueneme and Oxnard College Adjunct EMT Instructor. Johnson attended Pepperdine University where he earned his B.A. in Religion and Psychology and attended Ventura College where he earned his A.S. in Paramedic Studies. He has certifications with CEMSA, Paramedics, and is a qualified American Heart Association instructor.

Lopez was born in Los Angeles, California and is one of six siblings. He joined the U.S. Military at age eighteen and went to basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Lopez deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008, and 2009. He was MEDEVAC in both deployments which contributed to his medical retirement; he was medically retired as a Sergeant First Class.

Now, Lopez loves to share his passion with the adaptive cycling community. He enjoys helping the disabled community and the organizations that support adaptive cycling. His goal is to advocate for the adaptive cycling community to allow adaptive bikes to participate in public events.

Anthony Mitchell is a United States Army Infantry and Special Operations Soldier SFC (Retired) Disabled OEF-OIF Combat veteran wounded in Afghanistan during Combat Patrol Operations in August 2008 vehicle convoy engaged by enemy combatants received small arms fire rpg's mortars and indirect fire, engaged with enemy combatants at which point vehicle made contact with first IED before I could regain my balance driver panicked and hit the gas vehicle hit another IED which turned out to be a 55-gallon drum of homemade explosives in Gardez Afghanistan requiring many surgeries and treatments for Spinal cord injury/TBI, Bilateral Knee replacements, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Bilateral Loss of use in hands and feet along with numerous surgeries vision loss Neurological issues which require treatment to this day.

John Register is a two-time Paralympian, Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, Persian Gulf War veteran, and TEDx Motivational Speaker. He embraced a “new normal” in becoming an amputee following a misstep over a hurdle while training for the 1996 Olympic Games, after participation in two consecutive Olympic trials.

An Oak Park, Ill. native, Register discovered how to “amputate his fear of disability” and founded the U.S. Olympic Committee Military Sport Program in the early 2000s. He has launched a book titled: 10 Stories to Impact Any Leader: Journal Your Way to Leadership Success, as business leaders return to work with their staff amid stressful circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic and the recent unrest in our urban cities.

Register teaches others through his “Hurdling Adversity” speeches and podcasts to “amputate their fear and embrace their new normal,” as they discover “stories within themselves.” He finds that “it is the personal stories that inspire teams more profoundly with greater impact.”

Register is a four-time All-American graduate of University of Arkansas. He served six years in the U.S. Army—including in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in active-duty with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program—winning nine gold medals in the Armed Services Competition and two World Military Championships.

Register had his left leg amputated after a misstep over a hurdle changed his life. Register hyperextended his knee and severed the popliteal artery. He started swimming to aid in his recovery, made the U.S. Paralympic Team in 1996, and later won a silver medal in the long jump—as he set an American record—and sprinted to fifth in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the U.S. Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Register resides in Colorado Springs.

I am Max Rohn, I proudly served in the United States Navy as a Corpsman, where my dedication to duty led to me being honored with the Purple Heart for my actions during combat deployment. My journey took an unexpected turn when I faced a life-altering injury that resulted in the amputation of my leg below the knee. But adversity only ignited my determination.

My educational journey led me to Penn State University, where I not only earned my degree but also became a student athlete participating with the Ability Athletics program. However, academia was just one facet of my resilience. I harnessed my determination for sports, particularly in the Paralympic realm. Competing as a discus thrower in the F-64 category. Through my participation in the Paralympics, I aimed to inspire others facing similar challenges.

My commitment to service extended beyond personal achievements. As a board member of both America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation, I actively contribute to improving the lives of fellow veterans and individuals with disabilities. My role as a Move United Warfighter Sports Ambassador and a member of Team Semper Fi allows me to empower fellow veterans through adaptive sports, showcasing the transformative power of physical activity.

Martha is an educator, community advocate and entrepreneur passionate about social justice and human rights.  Martha has focused more than twenty years of her non-profit work experience in the inner-city communities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and more recently in Los Angeles, CA.

Martha has developed and managed various leadership development programs, health and life-skill development programs, and sports, fitness, and rec programs. Martha is also a youth basketball coach and has coached for the Minnesota State High School League, Parks & Recreation, Boys & Girls Clubs, and her local Booster Athletic Club.  Martha brings an extensive network of community resources and tirelessly advocates for the basic needs of others including military veterans. 

Martha received her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, where she independently designed an interdepartmental Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work, Youth Studies, and Multicultural Studies. Martha was very active in her university community where she worked for various departments on campus helping to assist university students.

Martha is a recent graduate of the prestigious National Urban Fellows program, where she received her Master of Public Administration from The City University New York - Baruch College - Austin Marxe School of Public and International Affairs in New York City. She was selected to do her internship at The California Endowment in Los Angeles, CA. in 2017- 2018.

Martha has worked for various nonprofits including: The Obama Foundation, LA Family Housing, Volunteers of America, The National Veterans Foundation, Catholic Charities, Boys & Girls Club, and Head Start.  Martha is also a veteran of the United States Army, where she received an honorable discharge for her ten years of service with the Minnesota Army National Guard as a combat medic. She is extremely excited and honored to be the Executive Director with the Paralyzed Veterans of America - California Chapter in Long Beach, CA.  

Gary Weiland was a Firefighter in Texas for 7 years when he experienced a series of very unfortunate events. His leg was amputated just below his knee. Gary decided that this tragedy was not going to end his career and passion for fighting fire. 10 months and 6 days after his amputation, he was back on the Fire Truck, full-duty, no restrictions. Gary’s faith, family, and fortitude were the driving factors in getting back to being a Firefighter. Now he is on a mission to show the world that no matter what happens to you, you can Adapt and Overcome!

Since his amputation, Gary has been honored with the ServPro First Responder of the Year Award as well as the Chief’s Distinction Award given to him by his Fire Chief.

Since getting back to full duty firefighting, Gary has been become a Motivational Speaker. He travels the country, speaking at schools, churches, and business conferences about overcoming obstacles and challenges in life and how to Never Give Up no matter what. His motto is “Adapt and Overcome.” He actually started his own Brand called A&O, which stands for Adapt and Overcome. His hope is that when people wear the A&O logo, they will have the motivation and confidence to tackle any challenge in life. Gary wants to build some mental strength in this world.

Gary also competed on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior this year! He did very well! He also competes in the UNAA Ninja league and has qualified for the Finals in Las Vegas the last two years. He is also a part of a documentary called, “Becoming the Ultimate Ninja,” which is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Gary is also a USA Para-Athlete. He is a member of the USA ParaBobsled/Skeleton Team as well as the USA ParaBeach Volleyball Team.

Gary has also written a children’s book series and they are available on Amazon. The first book is called Fischer's Accident. It is about a firefighter who gets injured on the job and his leg gets amputated. He gets a prosthetic leg and learns how to walk, run, and eventually gets back to firefighting. Book two is called Fischer Finds a Friend. Fischer is working a car accident in front of the local animal shelter. He notices a puppy in the store front window who looks very sad. He goes in to see why she is so sad, and when she stands up, Fischer notices that she only has three legs. No one has adopted her yet because she looks a little different than most dogs. Fischer decides to adopt her and name her Stitch. He soon realizes that

Stitch can do anything a four-legged dog can do, only faster! In books three, four, and five, Fischer and Stitch go on different adventures together. They go camping and to the circus. Fischer teaches Stitch about fire safety and how to act during emergencies, all while having fun and exploring the world.

Gary’s purpose in writing this series is two-fold. First of all, he wants to take the “shock-factor” away from kids. When they see an amputee for the first time, kids (and adults) are usually taken back a little bit. It can lead to some awkward situations. When a child sees an amputee in a book, they are shocked, and then when they see an amputee in real life, they can say, “that person is just like Fischer,” and avoid any awkward situations.

Secondly, these books show that the main characters look a little different than most people but still live amazing lives. It allows children to normalize our differences. After all, our differences are what make us human.

Gary is quite busy but he says that he doesn’t want to take one second of this life for granted. He truly believes that you can do anything you put your mind to. Adapt and Overcome!

www.GaryWeiland.com