Darrell "J.R." Salzman (born 1979) is a champion logroller and an Iraq War veteran. ESPN has called him "among the preeminent outdoors athletes" of the last decade. Salzman grew up in Hayward, Wisconsin. His sisters,

Tina Bosworth Tina Bosworth is an American log-roller, and holds the world record for winning the most women's log rolling championships. Career Bosworth is recognized by Guinness World Records for being the only ten-time women's log-rolling world champion. ...

and Crystal Salzman, are also top logrollers. He attended the

University of Minnesota Twin Cities The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. T ...

, and graduated with a

Bachelor of Science in Education A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

from the University of Wisconsin–Stout.

Career

Sports

Salzman was a competitor in log rolling and boom running, a sprint on floating logs, in all six seasons of ESPN's

Great Outdoor Games ''Great Outdoor Games'' was a series of televised outdoor games created by ESPN. The program was cancelled in 2006. ''Great Outdoor Games'' individual events include: * Fishing Events ** Fly Fishing ** Freshwater Doubles * Sporting Dog Events ...

, winning 14 medals (more than any other player). In 2005 he was awarded the Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY. Between 1998 and 2015, he won ten world titles at the

Lumberjack World Championships The Lumberjack World Championships are held annually in Hayward, Wisconsin. The event began in 1960 and is held at the Lumberjack Bowl. There are 21 events for both men and women to compete for over $50,000 in prize money. Contestants come from th ...

in Hayward. Between 2010 and 2015, Salzman competed with the advanced effects of Lyme disease but despite this, he managed to secure two more world titles, tying with Canadian logroller Jubiel Wickheim for most logrolling titles. Salzman used his log rolling skills as a

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

in the film '' Cheaper by the Dozen 2''. Salzman runs a small business by the name of Salzman Custom Sawing which focussed on turning trees into lumber, slabs, furniture and various other products. He has also spent his time working as a freelance journalist, specifically writing about his endeavors in the military as well as right-wing politics.

Injury in Iraq

Salzman joined the National Guard, enlisting shortly after the two-year anniversary of the

September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

. He was assigned to the Minnesota National Guard. His unit was activated as part of the 34th Infantry Division in the fall of 2005 and in the spring of 2006, he was deployed to Iraq. On December 19, 2006, his vehicle was struck by an Explosively Formed Penetrator. His right arm was severed below the elbow, his left hand was pulverized by the blast, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He recovered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and a nearby Fisher House, learning to use a prosthetic arm and recover his physical skills. He is considered 100 percent physically disabled. Nevertheless, after returning to Hayward, he successfully logrolled again, practicing with and without his prosthetic. Salzman returned to competition and won a log rolling world title in 2009.

Personal life

Salzman runs a

milblog A warblog or milblog is a weblog devoted mostly or wholly to covering news events concerning an ongoing war. Sometimes the use of the term "warblog" implies that the blog concerned has a pro-war slant. The term "milblog" implies that the author ...

, "Lumberjack in a Desert", on which he has recounted his military life and his medical recovery. When he completes his education, he hopes to go into teaching. Salzman married his girlfriend, Josie Salzman, on March 10, 2006, before he deployed to Iraq. They have since divorced. Together they have one son.

Bibliography

References

External links

*
Lumberjack in a Desert
- Salzman's blog {{DEFAULTSORT:Salzman, J. R. 1979 births Living people American amputees United States Army personnel of the Iraq War American loggersports competitors People from Hayward, Wisconsin United States Army soldiers University of Minnesota alumni Military personnel from Wisconsin Minnesota National Guard personnel