Amputee Coalition is excited to announce John Kriesel as the Opening Keynote Speaker for the 2022 National Conference, on August 10th at 3:00pm!
In 2006, Kriesel was nearly blown to shreds by a 200-pound roadside bomb in the parched sands of Iraq, but battlefield angels in army uniforms kept him breathing long enough to reach a hospital. He died three times and was shocked back to life. Somehow, he survived through four hospitals, 35 surgeries and months of recovery. He lost both legs and suffered numerous other major injuries, but it was the loss of two close friends that hurt the most. The guy who was not supposed to survive and was told he probably would be in a wheelchair the rest of his life walked out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center after nine months.
Four years after his near-death experience in Iraq, Kriesel became a civilian marketing employee with the Minnesota Army National Guard and in 2012, was named Director of Veterans Services for a county in Suburban Minneapolis, MN. He also is a part-time host on KFAN Sports Radio and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in 2010 after a vigorous campaign where he was told he could not win in his district. He personally visited several thousand homes in all weather conditions and literally wore out the socket in one of his prosthetic legs. He won. After tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq and a lengthy medical recovery, Kriesel’s family wanted to spend more time with him, and he chose not to run for re-election.
Working with author Jim Kosmo, Kriesel reveals his motivational story in STILL STANDING: The Story of SSG John Kriesel, winner of eight national book awards. Learn more at johnmkriesel.com.
Time is running out to secure your spot for the 2022 National conference! Register now and hear from this dynamic speaker and several others. Join the Amputee Coalition in person at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA, August 10-13, for the opportunity to learn, network and grow our collective efforts to impact positive change for our community. Be sure to secure the conference hotel discount when you make your hotel reservation by July 18, 2022. Visit the conference webpage or email us for more details, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #ACNC22.
Conference Schedule | Conference Speakers | Conference Sessions | Conference Registration | Conference Clinics | Conference Hotel | Conference FAQs | Conference Communications Toolkit | Conference Prospectus | Conference Entertainment