When I lost both my legs above the knee from a bomb blast in Afghanistan, I did not know how to conquer this kind of injury. There is no way to properly prepare for the long days of rehabilitation that lay ahead. While physical therapy and intensive rehab helped prepare me physically, The Heroes Project was the catalyst in my emotional healing. By working together, I was able to set goals that only month’s before I would have never considered. As I grew strong enough to take on a 6-day a week training program over eight months, I found myself physically able to take on Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. More importantly, the emotionally healing process had begun and was capped off when I climbed all 19,341 feet the mountain had to offer. The Heroes Project gave me the opportunity to take on my injuries head on and face to face while providing the foundation for my new conviction that life is wonderful, no matter what. It is an honor to have served my country and privilege to participate in a society that continues to do our best by our fellow man.

For more information and background on SSgt Zambon, please click here.