Gretchen Evans
- Wounded Veteran, Bestselling Author, and Adventurer
- 2022 Pat Tillman Award for Service at ESPN’s ESPY awards
Gretchen Evans Speaker Biography
Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans is one of the most decorated female veterans in US History. She was a successful senior military intelligence analyst and paratrooper, operating in several high-tempo and dangerous missions around the world including Grenada, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2006, while working as a sergeant major in Afghanistan, a mortar blast threw her into a concrete bunker wall. She suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury and lost 95% of her hearing, ending her career in military service. Gretchen received the Bronze Star for valor and heroism in combat.
Gretchen shares compelling and riveting stories and experiences, going from being the highest enlisted rank in the Army to traversing through life after a serious combat injury. Her insightful and poignant perspective offers a view into a window of today’s warriors, and offers nuggets of wisdom and impactful takeaways. She shares her story with a unique style of encouragement, hope and humor.
Gretchen’s story is featured in the new 2020 bestselling book, What’s Within You, and in August 2020, Gretchen and her adventure racing team, Team UNBROKEN, were featured in the “World’s Toughest Race” on Amazon Prime, hosted by Bear Grylls and produced by Mark Burnett. Team UNBROKEN is the first totally disabled team to ever compete in this arduous adventure race. Their desire is to bring awareness that disabilities do not define or limit what is possible with hard work, grit, gumption, and a rope team.
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Speech Topics
The Life-Changing Power of Your Rope Team
As one of the most highly decorated women to serve in the U.S. Army, Gretchen Evans had thought she had achieved her dream when she was overseeing 30,000 troops as a Command Sergeant Major. But all of that changed in an instant during a rocket attack in Afghanistan when she suffered catastrophic injuries and became deaf. Gretchen’s presentation will take you on a journey from her finding her purpose in the military, to her devastating injury, to her decision to reclaim her life with the support of her Rope Team that included a service dog and a select group of friends and supporters. Between her stories, Gretchen will offer her wisdom on topics of grit, resilience, hope, and overcoming any barrier. With a heartfelt message and some lighthearted humor, Gretchen provides a keynote that inspires all of us to find our own “rope team” and to live our best lives.
Reviews
Gretchen provided an incredibly inspirational message to our audience. Of all the speakers we have engaged over the years, Gretchen is the only person to ever receive a perfect 5 from all attendees. I would highly recommend her to any organization or industry where teamwork is essential.
Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans speech was compelling, humorous and inspirational. Her story of service, struggle and survival is unparalleled. She is friendly, yet professional and detail-oriented. I would highly recommend Evans for an opening or closing session no matter the audience.
