About Daniel
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in an abusive environment, with very little guidance or support from adults. I had a strong urge as a child not to have anyone else feel this way, so I did what I could to help and serve others. I joined the military at 17, where I deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea. After 10 years I transitioned to a civilian and found myself starting over, physically hurt, alone, and with no support.
Instead of focusing on healing myself, I focused on others and instantly went to work case managing homeless veterans after graduating college with honors. I accomplished a lot; I raised hundreds of thousands of dollars cycling across country, housed hundreds of veterans, created the first organized wellness program for Veterans in Western PA, and helped grow a nonprofit into one of the largest in the country.
However, after 4 years, I was filled with pain; both physical and mentally. I had become jealous, envious, and resentful. I was filled with anger and hurt over years of struggling and barely making it. In 2019, I quit my job, moved across the country, and began my walking my path on my wellness journey. I celebrated two years on my journey by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro – something I never thought possible with how much pain I used to be in.
I am currently a PATHH Guide for Boulder Crest Foundation and help veterans and first responders who are struggling with PTSD and other symptoms. We teach them how to achieve Posttraumatic Growth and wellness practices to help self regulate.
