ERIC KAPITULIK WAS born and raised in Thompson, Connecticut, and attended Pomfret Preparatory School, where he was a three-sport varsity athlete. Upon graduating, he attended the United States Naval Academy. While there, he was a four-year varsity letter winner and played on three NCAA Division I lacrosse tournament teams. During his junior year, Eric received the Lieutenant (junior-grade) Frank McKeone Award, given to the Navy player who most demonstrated spirit and sportsmanship and who served as the unsung hero. Eric was also named Navy’s Most Outstanding Defenseman and received North-South All Star honors his senior year at the academy. He graduated in 1995 and went on to serve as both an Infantry Officer and Special Operations Officer with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division. He left active duty after eight years of service and graduated from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2005.

Eric has been extensively involved with the Force Reconnaissance Scholarship Fund, which he established for the children of six Marines who died in a helicopter crash while serving under his command. Since 1999, he has been helping to raise funds, and has done so through public speaking engagements covering “Leadership and Attacking Adversity,” and through participation in Iron Man triathlons and other ultra-endurance races around the world. In addition to finishing eight Iron Man triathlons, Eric has competed in numerous marathons, the Canadian Death Race ultramarathon, the Eco Challenge, and the American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon, and was a competitor on the Outdoor Life Network’s “Global Extremes Challenge.”

Eric is also an avid high-altitude mountaineer. He has summited five of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on the seven continents): Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount McKinley, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus, and most recently, Mount Everest.

Eric sits on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Soldier’s Legacy Fund and is the founder and president of The Program LLC, a team-building and leadership development company for collegiate and professional athletes and corporate teams.

Jake MacDonald graduated in 2000 from Tufts University with a degree in English. He was a four-year starter and captain of the varsity football team his senior year. After graduating, Jake was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. While on active duty, he completed two combat tours to Iraq as a Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon Commander. He continued to serve his country as a Major in the Marine Corps Reserves and deployed to Afghanistan as a Scout Sniper Platoon Commander. Jake has received multiple awards for combat valor as well as a Purple Heart after being wounded in action.