In this course, Paralympic gold medalist Dan Cnossen tells two stories where he was pushed to the limit of what he thought he could endure. The first story comes from one episode in the infamous Hell Week training to become a Navy SEAL. How do you persevere through an onslaught of self-doubt? The second story involves his combat injury, the subsequent amputation of both legs, and some of the lessons learned going through this difficult episode. The purpose of this class is to provide the audience with methods for approaching demanding situations in life that push us to our breaking point. 

Principles of mental toughness and perseverance

Resilience

Dan Cnossen was raised on a fifth-generation family farm in Topeka, Kansas. After successfully completing SEAL qualification training in 2003, he deployed numerous times in support of global special operations. As a SEAL platoon commander, he was severely injured in 2009 in Afghanistan, resulting in the amputation of both legs above the knees. Turning to sport for recovery, Cnossen began training full-time for the U.S. Paralympic ski team in 2011 as a cross-country skier and biathlete. He has since competed for Team USA in the 2014 and 2018 Winter Games and is the first male athlete to win a gold medal for the United States in biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing with precision shooting. Cnossen holds a bachelor of science degree in English from the U.S. Naval Academy, a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a master’s in theological studies from the Harvard Divinity School.

Resilience

Principles of mental toughness and perseverance

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