Amputee Iraq War Vet Is the Current Leader In Men’s Health Cover Contest

Noah Galloway // Photos via Men’s Health

Fitness magazine Men’s Health is currently running their “Ultimate Men’s Health Guy” contest—I know, I totally think they could’ve come up with a better name, too—where they set out to find a guy who is  “physically fit, confident, stylish, career driven and a pillar of his community” to grace their November 2014 cover. And coming in first right now, with an over 13,000 vote lead, is Noah Galloway, an amputee war veteran from Alabama who lost an arm and a leg to an IED while serving time in Iraq.

Each contestant has to make their case for why they deserve the title of Ultimate Men’s Health Guy, describing how they stay fit, how their healthy lifestyle has helped them to overcome challenges, how they give back to the community and how successful they consider themselves to be on the Men’s Health site. Here’s some of what Galloway had to say:

After losing an arm and a leg to an improvised explosive device in Iraq, while serving as an infantry soldier with 101st, I suffered severe depression before realizing I wasn’t meant to just lay around and give up. I excepted [sic] my injuries and decided to get back into shape and have motivated others to do the same. I refuse to quit.

And you might want to grab a pen and paper, because Galloway’s next statement is totally noteworthy:

Health and fitness aren’t just for a look but for my own self appreciation of all my hard work. It is taking pride in who I am and treating my body accordingly.

Amen to that. You can learn more about Galloway and the other contestants here.

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