Prepare, Push, Adapt: Dan Cnossen’s Para Nordic Career Is Going Strong Into It’s Second Decade
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Height
5'10"
Age
45
Hometown
Topeka, KS
Education
Harvard University
Classification: LW12
Quick Facts
- Lt. Cmdr. Dan Cnossen was serving as the platoon commander for SEAL Team One in Afghanistan in September 2009 when he stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) and was wounded in the explosion. The accident caused Cnossen to lose both his legs just above the knee
- Cnossen went through rehabilitation first at the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and later at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he learned to walk with his new prosthetics
- Cnossen was awarded both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Valor from the Secretary of the Navy for his service in combat
- Hobbies include running, reading, traveling and surfing
- Grew up on a fifth-generation family farm in Kansas.
Years of World Championships Participation: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 Medals: 2 (2 silver).
Most recent: 2023 (7th, middle distance cross-country; no result, cross-country sprint; 9th, open cross-country relay).
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