Published: 03/02/2026 - 9:00 AM
Art Cratsenberg’s military roots runs deep. His great-grandfather served in WWI. His father fought in WWII, Korea, and did eight tours in Vietnam. Art himself spent 26 years in the Army, retiring as a First Sergeant. And his son continued the tradition, even following Art’s footsteps through jump school.
After retirement, however, Art faced a different battle: his own health.
Following a 20-year career at FedEx, Art struggled with civilian life in ways he didn’t expect. “I retired and I gained 100 pounds,” he admits. The weight gain came with serious health consequences: Type 2 diabetes, chronic asthma, sleep apnea, and a medicine cabinet full of bottles. “I was on… I don’t know how many different medications.” Simple tasks became overwhelming:
“I couldn’t walk a mile anymore... I couldn’t breathe”.
But when a fellow vet got Art to join the Y’s Veterans Wellness Initiative, everything started to change. He’s lost 70 pounds and is off five of his meds. “I can walk five, six miles now,” he says, and he’s rediscovered the energy he worried he’d lost forever.
The secret, according to Art, is that the program understands military culture. The instructors employ a time-tested approach: “Name, explain and demonstrate. That’s like a drill sergeant”. It’s structure. It’s familiar. And it works.
But it’s more than familiar methods. “Military is a family...it’s a camaraderie that they know the suffering, the things that you had to deal with,” Art explains. The program recreates that essential sense of brotherhood to foster connections, make fitness self-sustaining, and ensure results. Art and his cohort continue working out together, having established routines that mirror their military PT schedules.
“A lot of guys and gals won’t do this unless it’s given to them”, Art says. It’s that factor that drives Art to encourage continued support for this program: “We had to give up a lot…and that is something (people) should give back”.
Art’s experience is a testament to the Y’s long-standing commitment to our veterans, the power of exercise to reset lives, and the incredible impact support can make.