Dana Bowman has astounded the nation and the world with his drive, determination, and will to succeed. He is a retired Sergeant First Class with the U.S. Army where he was a Special Forces Soldier and a member of the U.S. Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights. Dana Bowman is a double amputee. He lost his legs in an accident during the annual Golden Knights training in Yuma, Arizona, in 1994.

On February 6,1994, Bowman gained worldwide attention when he and his teammate Sgt. Jose Aguillon collided in midair during the team’s annual training.

Bowman and Aguillon were practicing a maneuver known as the Diamond Track. The maneuver calls for the jumpers to streak away from each other for about a mile and then turn 180 degrees and fly back toward each other crisscrossing in the sky. Bowman and Aguillon had demonstrated the Diamond Track more than fifty times without a mistake, but this time was different.

Rather than crisscrossing, the two skydivers slammed into each other at a combined speed of 300 miles per hour. Aguillon died instantly. Bowman’s legs were severed from his body, one above the knee and one below the knee. Bowman’s parachute opened on impact. He was taken to a hospital in Phoenix where doctors closed his leg wounds and stopped his internal bleeding.

Nine months later, he turned this tragedy into a triumph when he became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the United States Army. Bowman re-enlisted in the United States Army airborne style, skydiving with his commander into the ceremony, making his dream a reality. This achievement is just one example of Bowman’s many successes under adverse circumstances.

After Dana’s re-enlistment, he became the U.S. Parachute Team’s lead speaker and recruiting commander. Dana has been fortunate to have the opportunity to let his speeches touch so many from the physically challenged to the able-bodied. He strives to show physically challenged people can still work and excel in today’s society and military. Dana emphasizes the words amputee and uselessness are not synonymous.

Dana has given more than 1000 speeches in the last few years and has been featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, People and many more. There have also been numerous television programs which focused on Dana and his story. Some of the programs include: Dateline, A Current Affair, Real TV, NBC Person of the Week, Day and Date and Extra.

Dana retired from the United States Army in 1996. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in commercial aviation at the University of North Dakota in May of 2000.

Dana spends a great deal of his personal time working with other amputees and disabled or physically challenged people. He also spends time at different military hospitals helping the wounded soldiers during the current world situation. He enjoys visiting patients at numerous healthcare facilities while on the road speaking.

Dana Bowman is the perfect speaker for your business, association or nonprofit!   He will tailor his presentation to meet the needs of your staff development session or present the most motivating presentation!

Dana shares his very personal story as an adult whose life tragically changed in the blink of an eye.  Dana is able to customize his presentations to any business or nonprofit organization.  Staff of all ages are inspired by his achievements, challenges and strong will to overcome adversity. 

Dana’s presentation includes a video accompanied by his live narration of his life in the military, the accident and his recovery.  

Dana will jump, quite literally into your training event, a breath-taking and inspirational sight, and the perfect way to begin an unforgettable keynote with Dana!  He jumps into presentations over 100 times per year to “hook” the audience.  All wide-eyed attendees will watch a double amputee land on a dime—every time!

Dana helps those who hear his story believe.  Believe that miracles do happen, believe that hard work and perseverance reap rewards, believe that we all can make a difference and most importantly, believe that we all should.  

"My life changed in one split second," Dana says. "But I'm here to say you can still make a difference. Our society today needs positive role models. I challenge all of you to learn and give back something."   His motto “ It’s not the disability, it’s the ability! Never quit!”…says it all!