Hi, I’m iLMA

I’m an Air Force veteran, airline pilot, storyteller, speaker, mountaineer, and adventure athlete. I believe life is meant to be fully lived.

Born in Lithuania under the Soviet Union and immigrating to the United States as a child, I fell in love with aviation on my very first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. I had no idea then where that first flight would take me.

At 18, I enlisted in the Air Force as a cook. Soon after, I earned an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to become a KC-135 air refueling pilot, flying combat missions. Today, I continue to serve in the Air Force Reserve while flying for the airlines.

But the flight deck is only one part of my story. I’ve run dozens of marathons, summited peaks over 20,000 feet, and earned an MFA in Motion Pictures & Television, blending my love of storytelling with adventure and inspiration.

That desire to help others live a bigger, more intentional life led me to create Don’t Ration Passion, a movement and speaking platform centered on stepping into discomfort, embracing what makes us unique, and unlocking our potential through play.

Through storytelling, speaking, and practical mental fitness tools, I help people build the mindset to navigate pressure, adversity, and life’s inevitable turbulence while making room for more purpose, passion, and play.

Life is too short to ration the things that make you come alive.