“I joined the Marines to do something with my life. I was in and out of trouble as a kid. During a ground patrol with the Brits in 2011, two weeks from coming home, I stepped on an IED and lost my left leg in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I was hospitalized in San Antonio, TX and medically retired as a Staff Sergeant. I had also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.

Readjustment to civilian life was really hard. I was angry at the world, angry at the military, and was blaming others at the time. It opened up a flood of negative feelings and that mental aspect has been the hardest to deal with. Learning to trust people — to keep relationships with friends and family and kids — and opening up has been a struggle.

Fitness has always been a way of life that I have turned into my non-profit, Rise Above Hardship. Connection and purpose form the core of who we are. I started Rise Above Hardship because the gym has always been a part of my life. I use fitness to help others rise above their own hardships. I can control my fitness; it’s an outlet and a healthy, therapeutic practice to let out my anger and anxiety. No matter what, continue to develop yourself. You have to keep working and growing.”