Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans, one of the most decorated female veterans in U.S. history, is this year’s keynote speaker at Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation’s annual Possibilities luncheon on March 13 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
With a successful military career as a senior intelligence analyst and paratrooper, Sgt. Maj. Evans operated in several high-tempo and dangerous missions around the world, including Grenada, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2006, while working as a sergeant major in Afghanistan, a mortar blast threw her into a concrete bunker wall. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost 95 percent of her hearing, ending her career in military service. Due to this life-changing injury, Sgt. Maj. Evans received the Bronze Star for valor and heroism in combat.
During her recovery, Sgt. Maj. Evans founded Team UNBROKEN, an adaptive racing team consisting of primarily veterans that also faced life-altering injuries or illness. The team has competed in the “World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji,” which aired on Amazon Prime Video. At the 2022 ESPYS, ESPN presented Sgt. Maj. Evans with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
“Her story is about hope in the face of tragedy and new beginnings,” said Matthew A. Gibson, Ph.D., FACHE, president and CEO of Siskin Hospital. “It pairs perfectly with the work we do every day at Siskin Hospital.”
Mr. Gibson first heard Sgt. Maj. Evans speak while attending the Tennessee Hospital Association Annual Meeting and quickly reached out to have a member of his team invite her to speak at the upcoming event.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear an inspiring story from a previous patient who did the work and can now say, “I CAN.”
All proceeds from the event will go towards Siskin Hospital’s Scholarship Fund, which supports men and women who cannot afford their physical rehabilitation care. Annually, Siskin Hospital provides over $800,000 in scholarships to patients in need.
For more information and to purchase seats at the Possibilities luncheon event, visit
Possibilities.SiskinRehab.org. Individual seats are $125 and a table of eight is $1,500.