Anthony Smith had no pulse and was placed in a body bag after getting hit by an IED in Iraq in 2004. Thankfully, a nurse opened the bag and noticed he was still alive. But, barely.
After 62 days in a coma, he woke up to a missing hip, arm, and sight in one eye.
His recovery was challenging. He didn't have the proper equipment to be active. When he met Nico Marcolongo, Operation Rebound Manager, he weighed 320 lbs, was using a wheelchair, and was smoking cigarettes all the time.
Nico knew he needed some support, so he sent him a brand-new road bike. And that's when Anthony's recovery went from challenging to transformational.
Today Anthony is a Grandmaster in Taekwondo and owner of a dojo where he teaches at-risk kids. He's completed the swim and bike portions of a few IRONMAN 70.3, and cycled 620 miles down the coast of California with Challenged Athletes Foundation.
