David
Berling

Athlete Bio#

Avondale, Ariz.

Holmen High School (Holmen, Wis.) ‘98 University of Wisconsin – La Crosse '01, Finance and Economics; Webster University '04, MBA

classification: MH5

Berling played soccer as a young boy and developed a passion for tennis during his middle school years. In 1998, he graduated from high school where he lettered in Tennis and participated in show choir. Berling commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in December 2002. He began his career as a member of the 56 Contracting Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, while also earning his private pilot's license. In 2007, he was involved in a private plane crash, losing both of his legs above the knee. After undergoing 28 surgeries and spending over two months in the hospital, Berling medically retired from the Air Force and began working full-time as a civilian contracting officer at Luke Air Force Base. He took up hand cycling as a part of his recovery and quickly began to excel
Son of Kim and Mary Berling
Married Melissa Berling in 2006
Has one sister, Leslie
Hobbies include flying, working out and shooting
Wrote a book about his experiences, “Just Living the Dream: No Way Out But Through.”