(air pump motor whirs) - Physically, it helped me get out of my shell and understand the possibilities of what I can do.

I put up a roadblock on what I couldn't do and it kind of helped me get through that roadblock and told me it's okay to fail.

You know, just as long as you try.

(gentle music) My disability is a little bit lower, my spinal cord injury.

So I do have leg functioning, that I can transfer in my car, put my chair in, jump in my bike, and then ride off into the sunset.

(gentle music) In high school, I was playing a lot of football, skateboarding a lot.

And then I joined the military.

I was an engineer on an aircraft carrier, which was fun.

I mean, it was good.

I got to see some places that I wouldn't be able to see at 19, 20 years old.

I was going to school.

I was going to Old Dominion University.

I was breaking up a fight and I got shot in my back.

I got a .22 in my spine and one grazed the back of my head.

I was super depressed after that.

I slowly just...

I spiraled out of control.

(bike wheel turning) (energetic music) And then attempting to learn how to do that.

How to live with that and how to feel up, how to feel better about yourself.

Triathlon helps.

It helped me grow and not just as a disabled person, but as a human in general.

(upbeat music) Find who's supportive of you.

I thought that I was going to be able to walk again.

And as you can see, my legs work, but I cannot walk.

So that's one of the biggest things that people try to wrap their head around is, "Hey, I'm going to walk again."

The truth is you may not.

And if that comes down to it, what are you going to do?

The biggest thing is to get into a wheelchair crowd, especially a sport.

'Cause you'll find a lot of people that are doing things that are doing really good things with their life, with other people.

And they'll help you achieve your goals, whatever goals those are.

I mean, you know, I can't do a triathlon per se but I've done many triathlons.

I can't ride a bike, but I ride a bike.

You can do things.

Everything's out there.

There's really nothing you can't do as long as you pursue it and you want to do it.

You want to finish it.

(music fades)