A fun loving, clutzy, adrenaline junkie and huge nerd. She loves making people laugh and think, and is fiercely protective of her family, brothers-in-arms, and people she calls "friend". Her dad served in the US Air Force in Viet Nam and went on to become a deputy Sheriff in Montana, while her mom is a nurse. This, and early life experiences, lead to Mary having a (rather dark) sense of humour, overwhelming compassion for animals and people, a grounded world view, and a calm demeanour in intense situations. All of which aided her when she joined the US Army as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. In 2007, she lost both of her arms when she hugged an IED while on a response mission between Iraqi apartments and a children's school. She's spent a great deal of her time since then, trying to spread laughter and tools to be more resilient to the people around her... and playing video games.
"I've seen a lot of veteran and first responder charities since I retired from the Army. And many of them are shit. The true ones, the great ones, are the ones that take you out of your comfort zone. The ones who test you, and make you prove to yourself that you can still go beyond living, you can thrive. They leave you with an experience that when you're struggling, you can call back to, years later, and say, 'This ain't shit. I survived [wherever it was], I can overcome this.' They remind you that your darkest days, weren't your last. And I truly believe that that is what sets Walkabout Bros. apart. The experience."
