Chris enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2001 and became an aircraft mechanic deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan many times. As a result of his exposure to war, Chris lives with PTSD. However, despite living through many death-defying situations while overseas, it was an annual flu shot that infected his spinal cord and left him paralyzed.

Chris became very depressed until he was introduced to the Wounded Warrior Project. A group ski trip provided him with the mental clarity and supportive community he needed to get back to living a fulfilling life.