Today, I salute Army Veteran Shawn Chesire. Shawn joined the military at age 17 to escape from extreme child abuse. She scored exceptionally well on her ASVAB and chose a path that would give her a “chance of a lifetime”— becoming an armament systems mechanic on AH-1 attack helicopters. Shawn had a photographic memory, which made her a natural at troubleshooting complex aircraft systems. After eight years of service, Cheshire transitioned to civilian life and trained as a paramedic, finding purpose in patient care. But in 2010, at age 36, her life changed forever. A combative patient with dementia pushed her backward in an ambulance, causing a traumatic brain injury that would eventually leave her completely blind. The loss of her career and purpose caused depression and 2 suicide attempts. Thanks to people around her who never gave up on her, she discovered an amazing athletic career that would lead to Shawn becoming a 13-time Paralympian champion and the first blind woman to complete the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim to Rim solo – inspiring many along the way. Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished, Shawn, and thank you for your service.