Thomas Knolmayer, 52, was born and raised in Ohio. He graduated from the Air Force Academy and received his medical degree from Uniformed Services University in 1994. He joined the Air Force where he served as a military surgeon for 28 years, which included four combat tours to the Middle East. He has lived in Alaska since 2001 and has since retired from the Air Force. He works currently as a trauma surgeon. He began mushing in 2002 when he volunteered and trained teams. He started his kennel with a group of yearlings from Kelly Maixner and Martin Buser. Tom and his wife, Tina, are the parents of two children, Zane, 14 and Madeline, 12. Tom is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the Alaska Trauma Systems Review Committee, and is the Alaska State Chair of the Committee on Trauma and says he enjoys fishing and running. Tom says, “We are a small recreational kennel looking to have some fun and adventure down the trail.”