Resiliency (NQM004)
Kirstie Ennis is one inspirational, bad ass US Marine. She served as a helicopter mechanic and door gunner on CH-53s during two tours of duty in Afghanistan. During her second tour, in June 2011, her helicopter Legacy-07 was involved in a crash. The helicopter rolled over and landed on the left side, causing the barrel of her 50-cal to go through her face removing her lower jaw and teeth. She furthermore suffered severe spinal, neck, brain and arm injuries as well as a left leg injury that ultimately required amputation, first below then knee and later above the knee (one of over 40 surgeries). The Vets Project did a great write up detailing her fight to recover, and ultimately thrive, to become a re-calibrated warrior (find the story here).
The Veterans Project is a photographic essay collection not just for the warfighter, but for civilians as well. It serves as a collective database, capturing the stories of veterans who have since returned home from not just the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but from WWII, Vietnam, and the first Gulf War as well. The goal of The Veterans Project is to capture the warfighter spirit, and establish an educational discourse for civilians who want to know what reintegration into polite society looks like.
Kirstie pushed on through the hard and dark times during recovery. After being medically retired from the military, and after enduring a dark period of searching for a new mission, she eventually founded the Kirstie Ennis Foundation The organization’s mission is to provide education and opportunity in the outdoors and to support other non-profits dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals and families. From representing the United States as an adaptive snowboarder at international competitions, to climbing the seven highest peaks on all 7 continents, no goal or challenge is too big for her. Through her incredible organization and those she partners with (Merging Vets and Players, Glam4Good, and Homes for Heroes to name just a few), she intends to lead by example.
In 2015, she walked 1000miles across Great Britain, memorializing 25 US Marines killed in action. The project was supported and organized by Walking With The Wounded, which provides pathways for vulnerable veterans to re-integrate back into society and sustain their independence, primarily through employment. Together with a team of 4 British soldiers and 1 American Marine, she placed one of 25 dogtags (each commemorating a fallen US Marine) every 40 miles. Stop and think for a minute, to put it in perspective, she walked a 1000 miles with a prosthetic. That is the definition of grit.
Not one to sit still, she also co-hosts a TV show called Adventures enabled, an online series that takes America’s Wounded Warriors on expeditions across North America to experience the profound healing power of nature.
Kirstie has been through a lot, and does a great service to us all by sharing some of her strengths and lessons learned through the darkest of times. She has appeared in a number of TV shows, viral videos, and podcasts. Some highlights below.
Hazard Ground Podcast #44 with Kirstie Ennis
On continuing service: “I can still continue serving the military community and go forth and help the veteran population, and I can show the world that regardless of the adversities you face you can do whatever you want to do, whatever you set your mind to.”
On getting out of that dark spot: “It may not work for everybody but, what I tell people is that no one owes you anything, you owe it to yourself and I struggled, especially after that one year mark, I didn’t want to keep fighting for myself, I thought I was done. You owe it to yourself, no one owes you a damn thing.”
Team Never Quit Podcast: Kirstie Ennis – USMC Helo Door Gunner Amputee – 7 Summits Climber – Paralympic Snowboarder
On the power of the outdoors: “Healing doesn’t take place within 4 walls, the things I needed to learn, someone needed to throw me outside, in the deep end.”
On perspective: “It’s all about perspective. There is someone worse off than you. I don’t care what you lost, quiet frankly. Because in the grand scheme of things you have gained quite a bit. You have gained experience, perspective… You made it home, you are still here. There are a lot of people that didn’t make it home, and you should live and do great things in their honor. If you make it about yourself and what your going through and never look for what is going on around you, you wont make it anywhere.”
Wilderness Attitude Podcast Episode 65: Kirstie Ennis
On digging deep, and leading by example: “I figured out how to suffer well, and when people can watch you suck it up and pull that grit from deep down, that’s when people want to latch on to you, that’s when they support you.”
On setting, and accomplishing, big goals: “I come up with with ideas and I go after them. I become obsessed with them. I truly believe in them. And I think that comes with believing in yourself, knowing that regardless of what’s going on in your life, you can still overcome everything no matter how small or big. You can set new goals, you can still chase your dreams. Sure you’ll get there a slightly different way, but you will still get there. It’s the 6 inches between your ears and whats behind your ribcage, that’s what determines what you are capable of.”
