This story is a partnership with The Street, part of Sports Illustrated’s exploration of the ways sports and finance intertwine—from the NIL revolution to online betting, business-minded athletes and more. For more on sports and money, see SI’s October 2023 Money Issue or go to TheStreet.com.
Christy Gardner followed a different path to business success than many athletes. A retired Army Sergeant who served with the United States Army Military Police in Asia, she used her life experience to create multiple non-profit organizations that serve the communities she is a part of.
Her first organization, Mission Working Dogs, helps people with disabilities by providing them with a properly trained service dog. That’s a group where Gardner takes a hands-on role as she’s a certified dog trainer with 11 years of experience training service and therapy dogs and seven years of experience with breeding.
