Gaylord Gauntlet

Meet our 2026 Featured Adaptive Athlete:

At 28 years old, he had already lived a life defined by service, strength, and resilience—as a U.S. Merchant Mariner and former 3rd Officer and Surface Rescue Swimmer for the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command.

Then everything changed.

After suffering a life-threatening seizure at sea, he was airlifted to a hospital in Hawaii, where doctors discovered a rare, tennis-ball-sized brain tumor that had gone undetected for years. Returning home to Connecticut, he underwent brain surgery that removed 97% of the tumor—but recovery was only beginning.

He came to Gaylord Hospital needing to rebuild nearly every part of life he once took for granted.

During inpatient rehabilitation, he relearned how to stand, walk, and use his left side. Going from peak physical condition to a wheelchair brought enormous physical and emotional challenges, but he refused to stop fighting. With the support of Gaylord’s physicians, nurses, therapists, and advanced rehabilitation technologies, he began reclaiming his strength.

And he said yes to every opportunity.

From high-intensity cardio and weightlifting to adaptive sports, archery, basketball, and aquatic therapy, he embraced each challenge as another step forward. Four weeks after arriving at Gaylord, he returned home using only a walker.

Today, he continues outpatient therapy, including aquatic rehabilitation, where he says he feels “more like myself again—more like the Navy rescue swimmer I once was.”

Now, less than one year after brain surgery and while still undergoing chemotherapy, he is taking on a new challenge

 

Gaylord Gauntlet Featured Sports Association Athlete

Each year, an athlete is selected to be the featured Gaylord Sports Association Athlete!  The featured athlete completes the race with the support of the Gaylord Sports Association Gauntlet Team.  The team typically includes a recreational therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and other supporting team members such as a belay team. We provide adaptive equipment as needed such as an all-terrain chair to navigate the course and a climbing harness with a belay team for safety.  The team meets prior to race day to discuss race techniques, and safety and to practice skills that will be needed on race day. The athlete and team compete on the same course and obstacles as all the Gauntlet racers!  

 

The Gaylord Sports Association featured athlete is selected by the Sports Association Gauntlet Team.  Featured athletes are typically someone who has recently been a patient at Gaylord and who would not be able to complete the race without the support of a therapy-based team and/or use of specialized adaptive equipment. Past featured athletes have included athletes with a spinal cord injury, amputation, stroke or other mobility impairment.

 

If you are interested in being considered as the Gaylord Gauntlet Featured Athlete, please contact the Gaylord Sports Association at sports@gaylord.org or 203-284-2772.