INSPIRED BY NOAH GALLOWAY

Greetings steemians. Since September 2017 when I joined steemit, I have really found it a great community for me because it allows me share my professional experiences as a prosthetist/orthotist; dealing with people with disabilities, people with different stories that touch the heart have exposed me to some realities of life and as well a great source of encouragement.

I don’t want to enjoy these benefits alone that's why I will share these motivational stories which my professional experiences have lended me, either by direct contact with my patients, or simply getting to hear the stories of amputees, be it in far away places, who defied every odd. Today I will share with you the story of an amicable Veteran who was not afraid to soar through the storms of life, a man who jumped the high hurdles of life through his 34 years of existence. His name is Noah Galloway.

Photo credit

Most times life is a fluke. In the Christmas Eve of 2005, Noah woke to consciousness in a military hospital in Iraq to realize he had lost an arm above the elbow and a leg above the knee due to an explosion of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). This happened between ticks of the clock.

Noah Galloway is a native of Birmingham, he was 20 when enlisted in the Army in 2001, following the September 11 attacks. In 2005, while deployed in Iraq, he lost his left arm from just above the elbow and left leg from just above the knee from a roadside bomb. The wounded soldier becomes depressed and withdrawn, he spent time drinking, smoking, sleeping and chewing potato chips, days to months to years. In Noah’s life time was the only thing moving but every other part of his life was either deteriorating or stagnant.

They say, change is the only constant thing in life, at a point the wounded veteran was motivated by his desire to become a positive example for his three kids, he decided to drop the bottles and the cigs to pick up the weights, he was so much engaged in physical exercises to get healthy again, his steps were firmer as he climbed higher and before long Noah’s story is being told on Televisions and magazines, he is now an inspiration for others.

In 2010, Noah was left with a decision to either waste his life or change it. He adopted the phrase "Be better, not bitter," this is when he started the process of regaining control of his health. At some point people started paying attention. Noah started gaining national recognition, especially when he appeared on a popular reality show.

A performance of Noah Galloway in “dancing with stars” \ Photo credit: Dancing with stars.

I can remember listening to one of Noah’s interviews and he said this, "There are a lot of people who think I just came out of nowhere, and there's all this attention I'm suddenly getting nationally, but really it's been a slow build up, where it's not been out of control. It's more of a fun ride, like a rollercoaster. And I'm enjoying the rollercoaster I'm on right now."

Noah’s journey to a new life had started appropriately enough, he was on an obstacle course of which he completed the everyday obstacles of being a double amputee, Noah realized that competing in races which he climbed walls, carrying buckets up a hill didn't proof so demanding. The essence of this was for him to regain his strength and stamina and he was always testing his physical progress.

Noah During the Tough Mudder Obstacle course. Photo Credit.

Sometimes it could be unimaginable picturing a man missing half an arm and half a leg competing alongside the able-bodied people, and truly this gathered attention. Noah started receiving interview requests from various media institutions within the fitness community. In 2013, he was on an MTV show titled "True Life," an episode about people who participated in Tough Mudder competitions, considered to be among the hardest of all obstacle-course races.

This show introduced Noah to the public, and it demonstrated more than just his athletic ability, it was a clear presentation of his motivational message. People were convinced with the passion behind Noah’s belief that one can overcome any hardship with determination and perseverance. Even when one lost two limbs.

During the “true life” episode Noah told a group of students "I'm not going to stand here and tell any of you that life's easy, you may never wake up one day missing an arm and a leg, but you're going to have challenges in your life. Something is going to happen to you that's going to make or break you, and you'll have to make that decision of how you're going to react to it, and that's on you. Because nobody cares about you getting knocked down. People are impressed when you get back up. I got injured on Dec. 19, 2005 in Iraq. That's a big part of my story. But the reason I travel the country is because I picked myself back up."

Noah’s hurdles of life gained speed in 2014, after he appeared ripped and without shirts on the cover of Men's Health magazine, with the headline, "Noah Galloway is the 2014 Ultimate Men's Health Guy." followed by his appearance on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," where he thrilled his audience with twenty (20) one-armed pushups in 16 seconds, about fifteen (15) million people watched Noah soar to a third-place finish on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2014.

Photo credit: Men’s Health Magazine

This is Noah who once sneaked into a gym at 2.a.m. simply because he did not want people to see him struggling with his physical exercises, he is now squarely in the public eye, people are always asking for his autographs, personal photos, I mean everyone wants to identify with him because he had been an inspiration to many.

Hmm, now Noah is now enjoying being famous he said, "I don't know how to say this without sounding like a jerk, I like being the center of attention."

Noah appreciated the support he got from other military veterans by saying "That started off gradually and caught me off guard, the way the veteran community responded to me, when I made the cover of Men's Health, these veterans and their families were thanking me for being a positive image of the military community. I didn't do that intentionally, but it was incredible."

Photo credit: @Noah_Galloway on Twitter

Noah loves telling his story. The athletic part of his life is on a television show called "American Grit," hosted by WWE wrestler John Cena, this show has 10-episodes with four teams competing in a series of military-grade and survival-themed challenges. In the show each team of civilians is led by a military veteran: Rangers, marines, Seals, and Army. Noah is the coach of the Army team.

Photo credit. Galloway with John Cena while filming a trial in American Grit.

Noah said "These competitors are all physically fit--they want to be pushed and we guide our teams through these challenges, the show allows people to see the different types of leadership in the military, the different ways we work."

The chronicle of Noah’s life before and after his injury is revealed in his book titled “living life to the fullest with no excuses.” This book also details the misery of the period when Noah was barely living.

This is what Noah said about his book "The last thing I want is for it to be a book that says, 'I got injured, and then I pushed myself and got successful.' Then it doesn't seem to be realistic, I want it to be real. I want to share the pain, the heartache, the tears, and the struggles I went through after my injury. Because that is real life. I want this book to help people--whether they've been injured or not--who are going through some sort of depression, to see that they're not alone. That this happens to people."

Noah went further to say "If I could wake up tomorrow and my arm and leg were back and I'm back in the military, that would be incredible. But it's not, and I've accepted that, considering where I am today, if I could go back in time and change it, I wouldn't do it. Because who I am now and the relationship I have with my children, that's the most important thing."

Noah requested to stand at Ruffner Mountain, looking toward the skyline of downtown Birmingham at sun set. He calls here home, this is where his children sons (Colston and Jack), and daughter (Rian Elizabeth) stay. He has a burning desire to be near them in an attempt to make up for the lost five years, this was presented more as a major concern as he insisted the only way he would appear on "Dancing With the Stars" was to rehearse in Birmingham.

Noah said "If all this attention and everything went away, the connection I have with my children now is so much stronger than it was before. And I am so proud of that, so no, I would not change a thing. Because if I did, it might mess that up."

Noah Galloway playing with his children. Photo credit: Noah Galloway's life photos.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope this little piece inspires your life. If it did, feel free to follow me at @eetyyudeme for more inspiring stories. Your upvote is also my encouragement.

Many thanks.