Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota - US Olympian Todd Lodwick has come home from Europe with countless world cup trophies. The 3 time World Champion has even accomplished the unthinkable in winter sports... by representing the United States in 5 Olympic Winter Games. In 2014, he plans on making his 6th Winter Olympic Team... a feat that has never been done before by a United States skier.
With all these accomplishments, Lodwick still had room for one more ‘bucket list’ life event today as he visited Air Force Global Strike Command’s Minot Air Force Base.
He got to touch, climb on and sit in the cockpit of an active B52 Bomber.
“I came here to share my life story and you all have made one of my life dreams come true” said Lodwick to a group of Airmen who had taken up residence on the concrete floor of the 5th Bomb Wing’s sheet metal shop “You never know what tomorrow is going to bring, but honoring today is the only way we get to see what tomorrow has in store for us.”
With one hand on the side of a mighty Stratrofortress, Lodwick absorbed every inch of the huge aircraft. He also took in every word spoken by his crew chief escort who knew the planes every story.
Life stories were exactly what Lodwick had come to share. As a 14 year old he’d narrowly escaped death from a gasoline explosion, well before he knew that one day he’d be one of only a handful of athletes worldwide to have competed in 5 winter olympic games. “do you all know there are fewer 5x Winter Olympians then summer” asked Robi Powers, of American300 the nonprofit organization that had brought Lodwick and fellow burn victim Dan Caro to the base “ winters are just plan tougher, being from Minot, North Dakota I’m guessing you already know that...”
After touring with American300 to the battlefields of Iraq in 2010 and visiting Guantanamo Bay Cuba and Navel Station GTMO the same year, Lodwick was finally getting to get up close and person with the B52.
“This has always been my favorite aircraft” explained Lodwick “ it reminds me of myself... old but still in operation.”
And as Lodwick attempts to become America’s first ever 6 time Winter Olympic Skier, it’s safe to say that the B52 will still be performing a quite but vital role in defending the overall safety of the world... and games.
PHOTOS on Facebook: ‘American300 Warrior Tours’
Learn more about Lodwick’s ‘Fire&Ice’ teammate Dan Caro at: www.dancaro.com
Air Force Global Strike Command information at: www.afgsc.af.mil
American300 is a 501c3 all volunteer nonprofit the operates the ‘Never Quit Series’ program for Air Force Global Strike Command. The program which is based on providing unique mentoring opportunities for Airmen is now in its seventh month of monthly programming. No federal endorsement of sponsors, individuals or nonprofit is ever intended. www.American300.org
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