By Jack Day

When Derek Weida realized he wanted to, “do something bigger with [his] life,” as a teenager, he enlisted in the army.  Little did he know that in time it would be a battle wound which would provide him with that chance.  After a rough road to recovery Derek grabbed a life line one day and once again signed up for something that would change his life.

He participated in his first Tough Mudder competition and soon after started another round of surgeries, giving him the spark of life he needed so desperately.  His story is a lesson in combining two simple ideas: knowing what you are good at, and learning how to adapt when life decides to change everything on you.