The True Grit Award - Amanda Tallman

Amanda Tallman spent most of her childhood in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up she had a passion for riding horses. Amanda’s passion for riding came from a desire to escape the challenges she faced in childhood. After failing out of college and facing a recession in Michigan, Amanda wanted to make a better life for herself. She enlisted in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps in 2007 and deployed to Afghanistan as an MK19 Gunner.

Amanda was injured while deployed and returned home with a cancer diagnosis. Once in remission, she applied for a Green to Gold Scholarship and was commissioned into Military Intelligence. Shortly after, her injuries led to an ostomy bag and eventually medical retirement. Amanda then lost her team leader from her deployment to suicide.

This was a pivotal moment in her life and she decided to start a non-profit called First Page in honor of Elliott Becker. She named it First Page because the last page doesn’t define us. What defines us is the legacy we leave behind. For Amanda, that legacy is family: her husband (Philip) and 3 kids (Annalise, Caleb, and Eleanora).

When Amanda first came to MVP after dealing with Military Sexual Trauma while in the U.S. Army, she was scared. It was the first time she was alone with a group of men since the Military. MVP helped Amanda gain a type of healing that could only be possible from experiencing safety and support from her male counterparts. MVP has given her the confidence to face her past, hope for the future, and most of all live in the moment.