Noah Galloway knows what it is like to seemingly have the odds stacked against you. Having lost an arm and a leg in an IED explosion while serving in Iraq, he’s come back. He is recounting his rebirth in a new memoir, titled “Living with No Excuses: The Remarkable Rebirth of an American Soldier.”
Galloway led the typical life, growing up in Alabama. Like many Americans, he was deeply impacted by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Galloway felt called to join the military, joining the U.S. Army. During his second tour of duty in Iraq, he was injured when the vehicle he was riding in struck an IED.
For a man who viewed himself as a protector, the days lying in a hospital bed proved to be overwhelming.
“There were several times when I laid there and thought it would have been easier if I had died,” he said.
After lengthy rehabilitation, including learning how to walk on prosthetics, Galloway returned to Alabama. That proved to have its challenges as he turned to alcohol to fill some of the voids in his life and deal with the low points.
However, it was an arrest for DUI that Galloway credits with saving my life.
“When that officer arrested me, it changed my life,” he said.
Galloway replaced the alcohol with a new passion – fitness. He focused on overcoming obstacles, including participating in mud runs and other events. No obstacles were going to get in his way.
“I am going to find a way to get it done,” he said of hurdles. “Don’t challenge me.”
Galloway even become a cover model as his comeback made the cover of fitness magazines. His story attracted the attention of “Dancing With The Stars.”
His family was skeptical, having never seen him dance. However, Galloway went at the show with his same amount of determination. He went on to become a fan favorite, making the finals and ultimately finishing in third place.
Today, Galloway is living a normal life with his children in Alabama. He has a son, Colston, 11, with his first wife Brandi and a son Jack, 8, and daughter Rian, 6, with second wife Tracy. He is a devoted father and also promotes prosthetics during visits to Walter Reed Medical Center.
Galloway knows his book will touch veterans and amputees who will identify with his story, but he also wants it to serve as a testament to what can be done with determination and focus for anyone who has faced depression and adversity like he has.
“Depression is real and I think we’ve come a long way, but it’s still something that if someone hasn’t experienced it, they won’t understand it,” he said. “I think my book will help people understand and help those who suffer through it to realize they’re not alone.”
