FOR A CLASS assignment in 7th grade, current U.S. Army soldier-athlete Sgt. Robert Burns was tasked with writing about a current event and its personal significance. The topic he chose was American snowboarder Chris Klug earning a bronze medal in snowboarding earlier that year in 2002. “I can remember as clear as day writing a couple paragraphs that were like: ‘When I get older, I want to represent the USA in giant slalom snowboarding,’” Burns says. “It was a dream through high school and college.”
Growing up in Northern California, Burns started skiing at two years old and played every sport from tennis to basketball to baseball. But it wasn’t until he was 9 that he got his first snowboard. He began to compete internationally in 2013 and went on to win two national championships in giant slalom, a form of downhill alpine snowboarding, before competing on the world stage in 2022—exactly 20 years after his 7th grade writing assignment.
But snowboarding wasn’t Burns’ only dream. He also knew from a young age that he wanted to serve his country. His father was in the military for almost 40 years, and both of his grandfathers served during World War II. “I was very much a part of a military family,” he says, “and that was something inside me that I never really lost sight of.”
Making Multiple Dreams a Reality
IN 2024, BURNS found a path to pursue both dreams through the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). Established in 1997, WCAP enables top-ranked soldier-athletes to compete at the highest international level in their respective sports while serving in the U.S. Army. Since its inception, nearly 600 athletes have enlisted and competed through the program, earning more than 120 medals on the world stage.
After enlisting, Burns completed basic training before applying to and being accepted into WCAP. Like every Army soldier, he receives a salary and comprehensive health benefits, plus access to elite-level coaching, physical therapy, nutritional guidance, and recovery support designed to meet the demands of high-level competition. “You just have to go out and perform,” he says. “Through WCAP, there are people that are willing, ready, and able to support me, and that’s incredibly comforting.”
The program also intersects with his personal life. Burns’ fiancée, Staff Sgt. Deedra Irwin, was already a WCAP soldier-athlete in biathlon before he joined the Army. “She wanted me to enlist and try the program,” he says. “And she didn’t really have to try very hard to convince me because I already had so many reasons leading up to that point.”
From the Fire Line to the Snow
BEFORE JOINING THE Army, Burns’ surroundings were far from the icy slopes, as he served as a “hotshot firefighter” with an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC)—an elite group known for tackling the most challenging parts of large, priority wildfires across the country. IHCs operate in rugged terrain with hand tools and chainsaws to build fire lines and control fire spread.
This role connects to a long-standing interest for Burns. Growing up in Northern California, he was surrounded by wildland firefighters and saw how critical their work is to protecting communities. That exposure helped shape his path alongside his desire to serve his communities and country. Though he moved from fire to ice, he sees clear parallels between firefighting, snowboarding, and his Army job: Both demand a level of single-minded focus to succeed. Now as an infantryman in the Army, Burns serves in the field as part of the Army’s combat force, training to defend against threats on the ground. His role includes deterring enemy forces, assisting in reconnaissance, and helping mobilize troops and equipment in support of the mission. It’s demanding, hands-on work that requires constant readiness and attention to detail.
“A lot of times as an infantryman, you have a specific goal passed down to you through the ranks that’s going to require your focus,” Burns says. “When I look at it that way, I see this clear picture of how I transitioned from ‘I want to be an elite snowboarder,’ to ‘I’m going to be a hotshot wildland firefighter and an infantryman in the U.S. Army.’ They flow pretty well into each other.” Both pursuits also require relentless self-belief. “If you want something and you’re willing to work for it, you can make it a reality,” he says.
A Soldier’s Mindset on the Slopes
MANY OF THE lessons Burns has learned as an infantryman carry directly into his snowboarding. One of the most important, he says, is trusting the process and staying connected to his purpose. “When you’re in the thick of it and really just slogging along— maybe the performance isn’t there and the training doesn’t feel very good—you need to have some way to come back to your why,” Burns says.
For him, that means reflecting on the journey itself, from childhood ambitions to serving his country and working in demanding roles beyond sports. That perspective matters when the schedule gets relentless. Burns often finds himself traveling across the globe, sometimes spending just a few nights in one place while fitting in training for major competitions. In those moments, keeping sight of the bigger picture is what helps him push through.
Another Army training principle Burns applies to snowboarding is knowing when to pause rather than quit. “When they bring us all the way to the level of pure exhaustion, they say, ‘take a knee, take a drink of water.’ And until you’ve been in that moment where you really need that knee and that drink of water, you can’t really understand how beneficial it can be,” he says. “Your mind might be saying, ‘I’m done. I’m exhausted. I can’t go any farther,’ and a couple minutes later you move on to the next task and you’re ready to go.”
His Next Ascent
AS A SOLDIER, Burns has learned that getting from point A to point B often requires navigating hills and valleys along the way. Whether the destination is literally on a map or a long-term athletic goal, the expectation is the same: Keep moving forward. “What the Army taught me is that regardless of how far it is between point A and point B, you still have to get to point B,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how you feel about where you’re at in the journey. You have a destination, and you need to get there.”
Burns is looking forward to what 2026 will bring and is ready to take on the lofty goals he’s set for himself. “I’m in the best shape of my life physically, mentally, and spiritually,” he says, and he credits that to WCAP. “What the program has offered me is the ability to work as hard as I can to become the best Alpine snowboarder possible to represent my country and to represent the U.S. Army. I still have to climb a couple more mountains to get where I want to go.”
Learn more about the unexpected possibilities of service at GoArmy.com.
Caitlin is a health and fitness journalist based in New York City. She writes for publications including The Wall Street Journal and Runner’s World. She's completed 12 marathons, including the six World Marathon Majors, is semi-fluent in French, and volunteers as a greeter on The High Line. Follow her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
