Yes, he is a hero, he didn't do it for himself, he did it for his kid...oh and by the way, I see he was in the military. A lot of my getting back on my bike was to show my kids not to let something like an accident keep them from their dreams....but never, ever, could I equal THIS man's guts!

For many years I would watch for the news story on this guy, then they kind of stopped...LOL, I guess during that time we ALL got OLD!

Well, he could still kick my butt big time and always will! It is stories like this that get my aching butt on a bike or my goosebumpy bag of bones in the pool. Both these folks are my heroes..I take that back this guy's son, too is my hero....my son is my hero, so is my daughter that did the Olympic trials, she won a national championship within 6 months of having an 8 by 10 centimeter tumor removed from her hamstring in a 4 hour long surgery. My husband is my hero too. I could never do what he does for a living, and put up with me to boot.

Notice that people with purpose do these things.

People with a sense of love of life, love of exhiliration, love of challenge, do these things. Most of them are pretty darn bright folks too.

It is crucial to maintain one's sense of purpose in life, one's sense of wonder in life.

(BTW-in no way does my sticking up for soldiers imply I support the war---I disagreed simply with the premise that mentally ill people make good soldiers)