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Amanda joined the military in October 2011 as a supply sergeant. She deployed twice in her career,
once in 2013 to Camp Phoenix, in Kabul, Afghanistan with the 1438th Transportation Company, and the
second deployment in 2018 was to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait with the 38th Sustainment Brigade. Before
leaving the deployment in November of 2018, she landed an active guard reserve position as a recruiter
with the Indiana Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention. Amanda is a right-above-knee amputee (knee disarticulation)
The initial accident occurred on January 12, 2019 due to a car accident on the way to drill as a brand new female sergeant at a unit of infantrymen. It’s worth noting, that other military affiliations canceled drill because of terrible weather and took the proper precautions needed, but the Army pursued on. Amanda initially required admission to the intensive care unit for 5 days. She was then transferred and required additional time and visits to the orthopedic wing of the hospital.
Following a total of ten surgeries, Amanda had the initial below-knee amputation (BKA) on
April 1, 2019. The complexity of her injuries required other special treatment and care at Walter Reed
Hospital, in Washington, DC. During her time at Walter Reed, later in October of 2019, Amanda needed several surgeries to address issues in her knee. These included arthritis, bone spurs, and loss of
cartilage. Eventually, the decision was made to perform a higher above-the-knee (AKA) amputation on
May 12, 2022.
Amanda has also required medical interventions to address mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as depression and anxiety. She was introduced to the creative art
therapies to help express and explain what she, herself, could not understand. Amanda has since then
immersed herself in the arts world and is currently pursuing a degree in Art Therapy at the College of
William and Mary. She is involved in writing a case study titled: People of Determination: Using Creative Arts
as a Way to Navigate Trauma - Past, Present and Future. This study is about the importance of the creative
arts therapies. Amanda is hoping to go before Congress to make the case that these therapies for military
veterans should be an integral part of the behavioral health therapy system. Amanda is an avid multi-media
artist who creates pieces for herself and others.
Amanda aspires to compete as an adaptive athlete in both the summer and winter Paralympics.
She has set her goals high and has made plans to train hard for each of the two adaptive disciplines: (1) For the Summer Paralympics, Amanda is training to compete as a hand-cyclist and is looking into shot put as another summer sport; and (2) For the Winter Paralympics, Amanda is training to compete as a snowboarder.
Amanda has goals in place and regularly works out with her trainer, Toni, who was provided for her
through funding support from the Travis Mills Foundation. Her ever-changing fitness plan addresses
strength, agility, balance, flexibility, and cardio-respiratory development.
In the fall of 2023, Amanda took first place in the Army Ten Miler and Marine Corps Marathon with
support from Semper Fi & America's Fund. Amanda and her trainer enjoy participating in Spartan Races,
and she is on a team from Oscar Mike. Team members are always there to help assist and push you to
achieve what seems impossible.
To address Amanda’s dream of competing in the Winter Paralympics as a snowboarder, she has been
attending many camps and clinics around the country. Currently, she is actively training with
Massanutten Adaptive Snowsports, a program of Therapeutic Adventures, Inc., and a chapter within Move
United. It's not impossible if you have a great team. At home, she hangs out with her puppy, Rayna (2 years
old) and they are as active as can be.
Amanda plans to create a nonprofit called Taking Art Into Battle (T.A.B.). The mission is to help the past,
present and future military individuals through their pains and traumas and come out on the other end,
with more resources and a family they can call home again.
