male: Just look at me.

Try to forget about everything else and kind of like in school, if I ask you a question, like, what's your name?

Say, "My name is--" ready, so like, answer the question, putting the question back in the answer.

So, what does your dad mean to you?

Analicia Torres: A lot.

male: Can you expand on that a little bit?

Analicia: It's kinda hard to explain.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ chess player: Are you sure you want to go there?

There is no taking it back.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Julian Torres: Miss Capos.

Miss Capos: Yes?

Julian: How are you doing today?

Miss Capos: I'm doing fine, how are you?

Julian: I am great.

Would you like to hear a joke?

Miss Capos: Sure.

Julian: What did the pencil say to the paper?

Miss Capos: I don't know.

Julian: Write on!

[laughing] Julian: Good morning, Miss-- Ashley: Ashley.

Julian: Miss Ashley.

I'm Julian.

Ashley: Julian?

Right on!

Miss Capos: Okay, attention, everyone.

With not much trouble, we're going to be doing some prep for upcoming final exam.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Ashley: Hey.

Julian: Hey, Miss Ashley.

I didn't know you worked here.

Ashley: It's only my second day.

Is that okay with you?

Julian: Yeah, yeah, of course.

Ashley: So, show me what we got.

What are we doing here?

Julian: Well, you see this fancy popcorn here?

See this incredible scooper.

Just grab one of these, like so with the fancy scooper, just flourish the popcorn, put it right in the bag.

Ashley: I didn't think working here would be so complicated.

Julian: Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's a good thing you have me then.

Ashley: Is that right?

Julian: Yeah.

Actually it's good because I wanted to ask you something.

Do you have a date for prom?

Ashley: Well, no, actually, I don't.

Julian: I would like to take you.

Would you do me the honor?

Ashley: You wanna take me to prom?

Julian: Yes, Ashley, I'm your guy.

One second.

Julian: Hey, Jesse, Marissa, how are you guys doing?

Jesse: I didn't know you worked here.

Julian: Well, yeah, you know, I've been here for a couple months.

Pay the bills, you know?

Yeah, you look great, man.

When did you join?

Jesse: Right after high school, when we graduated.

Julian: Yeah.

Jesse: I came out of boot camp with-- Julian: How does it feel?

Jesse: Feels great.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Ashley: A little help, Marine.

Julian: Oh, yeah.

You shouldn't even be carrying that.

Ashley: We're a long ways from Modesto now.

Julian: Yeah, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Home of the 2nd Marines.

It's gonna be good, Ashley.

Ashley: I bet it is.

Why are you setting up the TV?

Julian: Oh, my platoon sergeant said we need to watch the President's speech tonight.

I've never seen one of those.

Have you?

Ashley: No, actually, I haven't.

What's it about again?

Julian: I don't know, but the president is speaking at West Point and if he's speaking at an Army base, it must not be that important.

Barack Obama: Instead, the review has allowed me to ask the hard questions and to explore all the different options along with my National Security Team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and our key partners.

And given the stakes involved, I owed the American people and our troops no less.

This review is now complete.

And as commander in chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan.

After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.

I do not make this decision lightly.

I oppose the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Ashley: How's training going now that you're back from leave?

Julian: Good.

Ashley: Two weeks' baby leave is not that long, huh?

Julian: No, no, no, that's what they give us.

Ashley: You know, I was thinking tomorrow-- Julian: Ashley.

I have to tell you something.

You know how some of our guys deployed early?

The advancement launch.

Ashley: Yeah, yeah, I remember.

Julian: Three of them were killed yesterday.

But I don't-- Ashley: You don't have to say anything.

Just come home to me, come home to us.

I don't care how.

Just come home.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [whistle] ♪♪♪ male: Roger, Major Two.

Sergeant Torres?

Julian: Yes sir?

male: Roger, Major Two, out.

That was Battalion.

Intel's got reports of a group setting NIDs around this area, okay?

And I think that right over there is the indicator, see it?

We're going to find it.

Good to go?

Julian: We've been through this area before.

They should be in the trees, right?

male: Torres, listen.

I don't know this area as well as you do, but I do know when something's not right, all right?

And as far as I'm concerned, the only area around here that's clear is ASR rabbit, okay?

So I need you to take your team.

I need you to fan out for security and I need you to wait for some of these metal detectors to show up to clear the area, rah?

Julian: Rah.

male: Start with him.

Julian: All right, Sergeant.

Julian: Hey, look around you.

We're in f--Afghanistan.

This is f--Marjah.

You never ever take your helmet off.

I don't want to have to send a letter to your mother saying that you got killed because you got complacent.

Do you understand me?

male: Yeah, Sergeant.

Julian: Childers!

Cody, you're with me.

You and Will stagger ahead, fan out, keep your dispersion.

You see anything, you freeze, got it?

Cody Childers: Right, Sergeant.

Let's go, fan out.

[water running] Julian: It's just f--rocks.

Let's go.

Let's keep moving.

male: Hey, Torres.

Thanks for keeping us safe from a bunch of rocks.

Julian: Hey, just looking out for the squad, Staff Sergeant.

male: You want to protect us, stop kicking things that look like an IED.

Julian: You know what?

You are so right, Staff Sergeant.

I'll be sure to write that down in my notes.

[birds chirping] [tinnitus ringing] Julian: And I saw my shadow on the ground from an aerial view.

That's the first thing that I remember.

The bird's there.

Cody comes up.

Cody, regardless of his injuries, you know, he had sustained, he like, grabbed me and was like, "I got you, Sergeant."

And he carried me to the-- to the chopper.

The first thing I saw on that bird when I lay down, the first thing that, like, was right in my face, I could not look away from it, was the Stars and Stripes.

And I remember just being so, like, taken back by the flag at that point and being like, "This is for you."

Like, "I'm giving you my legs because I believe in you and I believe in what you stand for and I believe in this country, you know, that it is good, you know, that it is different."

And I just look up and I point at this flag and I just give it a thumbs up, like, "I hope it's enough."

Ashley: It was, like, really early morning, I got a call just said that he had been injured.

It was just--I was in shock.

Julian: I wake up after an actual surgery to keep me stabilized.

At Camp Dwyer, head surgeon, he comes in, he goes, "Hey, Sergeant Torres, how are you doing?"

And I said, "Has anybody called my wife?"

Ashley: So the first time I spoke to him, it was the doctor called me, like, "Hey, here he is."

And he says, "Hey."

Julian: "Just want to let you know, I'm a little shorter now, but I'm all right."

Ashley: And I just started laughing like, oh my gosh, you know, like that would be Julian to, you know, say a joke just to kind of lighten the mood.

And it gave me, like, a hope or a sign that, like, he's okay right now.

Julian: On the 17th, I left to-- again to Bethesda, Maryland, and Walter Reed, Bethesda, and I was stateside, July 18th.

Ashley: When I first saw him, Bethesda, I was grateful.

Julian: And she walks in, dude, and like, they briefed me earlier that day that I couldn't hold my son because of possible contamination from him to me and me to him.

And of course I said, "Oh, for sure, 100%, Doc.

You know, you got it, you know, safety first, you know, you're right."

But come on, dude, like, when I saw my son and my wife, I gave them both hugs.

I felt home.

Like, that's when I really was home.

Ashley: Instantly, just tears, seeing him hugging him, with JJ.

It was just like, the waterworks.

Like, oh my God, you know, I have my son, I'm okay.

I have my wife, you know, I have my family still.

For almost 2 months, it was just wake up, surgery, recovering, a lot of sleeping.

Just like literally taking it day by day, you know?

We didn't know, like, really what was gonna happen in that time, if we were gonna go to San Diego or stay here.

And so we immediately, "Yeah, San Diego.

Let's go back home."

Tim Bleidistel: First time I met Julian, I met him on what we just call the surgical ward.

And we were getting couple Medevacs a week for a while and then the Marines went into the Helmand Province and specifically the Sangin Valley.

We started getting all these medevacs, 10 to 12 a week for months.

Ashley: Seeing everybody there at Wounded Warriors was, I mean, there was a lot of people there, a lot of injured marines and young families.

But I think at the time, I was like the only one with, like, an infant.

Tim: We always talk about the marine and his injury and his recovery and my God, he's keeping himself so balanced and what an amazing guy and he is.

But we have to put Ashley up right next to him and say, "And she is just as strong.

Look at what she did, look at how she performed."

Ashley: That was probably one of the hardest things I had to go through, was figuring out how do I do this?

You know, as a first-time mom, like, I'm learning how to be a mom, also taking care of my husband, and-- Julian: If I could--if I can sum up Ashley's strength, which is impossible to do.

I've told her many times that she's like my lighthouse.

When you see a lighthouse, you don't see multiple lighthouses.

You see one.

You see one because it can handle the storm.

No matter how bad the waves crash, no matter how bad the storm is, no matter how fast and ferocious the winds may howl, it's there providing light.

That's who Ashley is.

Ashley is my lighthouse.

Ashley: It was a crazy time.

It was a crazy time, going to physical therapy.

It was always busy.

Julian: Monday through Friday, dude, be there all day long.

Ashley: JJ was his motivation to walk.

He had this goal of, like, I'm gonna walk before he takes his first step.

Tim: There's certain things I tried to be there personally for, every time.

When Peter Harsch has finished their full-length legs, their life-size legs, and the first day they get up on their legs.

Peter Harsch: I met Julian Torres at the Naval Medical Center while I was the director of prosthetics.

Julian sustained a blast through an injury that took his leg above the knee and below the knee.

There's not much surface area on his limbs that we can load.

He's also technically considered by the VA and Medicare to be considered short amputations on top of that, which poses quite a challenge.

Being there and seeing it for the veteran to get up the first time is--it's quite moving.

I think there's fear there, there's excitement, there's depression, there's happiness and it's probably not so much for the veteran as it is, probably, for the family.

Ashley: The first time I saw Julian up on his legs, I was happy.

I had, like, disbelief.

Julian: And Ashley was right there and Ashley had helped me, kind of like, stand up and I turned to her and I asked her for a hug.

It's been so long since we had that, that privilege of looking at each other, eye to eye, not like this, you know, not looking at her belly button, but looking at her face to face and telling her that I love her.

Tim: So the whole program was for the goal of a successful transition so that they wouldn't be quite so disaffected by their injury.

A goal is such more--is a much more concrete thing.

It's tangible to you.

For Julian, Veterans Day Parade was one of the goals.

He, you know, he had--he sets a lot of goals.

Ashley: It was the Veterans Day Parade and he walked in the parade and-- Julian: Being a part of the Veterans Day Parade, yeah, I mean, it was--it was pretty surreal just because, you know, I never saw it, like-- it just seems like it's for a different generation, you know what I mean?

Like, I felt like I was, like, too young to be in a parade.

I think it's important for people to see the cost of war and that the broad strokes that it--that it takes from people.

Each one of us that were walking in that, they were missing some kind of piece of anatomy, whether it be an eye, would be an arm, a leg.

You know, some of those dudes are wearing colostomy bags, you know what I mean?

From gunshot wounds and stuff like that.

So it's like, those are all permanent injuries.

I mean, those are no--I mean, yes, you're healed and you're on the trajectory of on the up and up.

But at the end of the day, you know, these things were permanent for the rest of their lives, and these guys were 25 years old.

Peter: We had very few individual prosthetists in this country that treated combat-wounded veterans, very complex cases.

And in 10, 12 years I will retire.

And the question is who's gonna care for the veterans when I retire, for the next 30 years after that?

These are questions that are starting to run through the minds of our veterans because it's not easy to find good care.

Ashley: When he enlisted, like, he was enlisting for a career and just in one--some--one moment, it's completely taken away and you--he didn't know, you know, like can he still be a Marine, missing his legs?

When Julian retired, I think it was obviously a struggle for him because he loves, he--the structure of being in the military.

You know what, you know, your schedule every day, what you're going to do and not having that, I think, was, you know, just threw him off and not knowing he talks about like, what the mission is now, like, what's his mission, like what is he doing now in his life?

Every day now, what is he-- where does he you go next?

Tim Medvetz: I'm Tim Medvedz.

I founded the Heroes Project and we take wounded vets to some of the highest peaks in the world.

Julian: I think I want a piece of the Heroes Project.

I think I need a summit.

Ashley: You want to climb a mountain?

And like, I was like, "How are you gonna do this?"

Tim: And my phone's ringing, and it's him.

He's like, "Hey, so talk to me about this mountain thing, you know?

Okay, and what are you thinking?

What you got in mind?"

I says, "You know, I'm thinking Kilimanjaro."

Tim Bleidistel: I haven't even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and I got both my legs.

Tim Medvetz: I think it would be perfect for you.

He's like, "Kilimanjaro?

How high is it?"

I was like, "Well, it's just under--just about 20,000 feet."

Julian: And I was like, "Yeah, let's get it."

Tim: And I said, "But it ain't going to be easy.

It will by far be the hardest thing you've ever done in your entire life."

He called me, he goes, "Let's do it.

I'm in.

But--but you got to come to the house for dinner with Ashley, my wife, and convince her."

Ashley: Tim was this big guy who was a biker.

And I was like, "Oh my gosh, who is--who is this person, this guy?"

I did not trust Tim.

Tim: And so sure enough, I fired up the motorcycle and drove down and got to the house and walked in and sat at the dinner table and listened to his wife basically tell me that if I don't bring, you know, her husband back in one piece, she's gonna basically throw me off the bridge.

Julian: She knows that I can't really walk really well.

You know, she knows I'm a fall risk.

She knows that.

She watches me fall.

She watches me take down displays at the grocery store, you know what I mean?

Like, and I'm gonna do that on a mountain, dude?

Like, she was like, "You're crazy."

Ashley: I guess I was--I was really--I'm really protective.

It was still just this, like, mama bear thing that I have over, you know, Julian.

Tim: You know, and one of the things she said to me that really hit home was like, you know, like I almost lost him once on the battlefield and I'm not gonna lose him again.

I basically planned it so we would be topping out on the summit on Veterans Day.

[singing] [singing] Tim: I had one of the correspondents from CNN reach out to us.

She's like, Do you think it'd be possible to, like, do an interview from the summit?

Brooke Baldwin: All right, on this Veterans Day, I wanted to bring you a wounded warrior's ultimate journey to the top of Africa.

Tim: And Julian and me, we're shouting, "America, woo."

Julian: Yeah, baby.

Tim: America, America.

That's all I can say is America.

Tim: Then it got a little emotional, you know.

"I'm up here," you know.

Julian: I wanted to pay respects to my fallen brothers.

We did it.

Tim: You know, then he's shouting out to Ashley and his kids.

Julian: What's going on JJ, Alicia?

I love you.

Hey, Ashley.

Brooke: One of my last questions: just once you get down off that mountain, what do you wanna tell your wife, your kids?

Julian: Tell my kids, there's nothing that your dad can't do.

I love you guys.

Tim: And then of course, you know, finally we ended the interview and then, and then Julian had to have his moment.

♪♪♪ Julian: I carried, you know, four knights from my chess set and I love using the knights because you know, you gotta respect them.

You know what I mean?

And I just thought it was--it was appropriate to take those knights and bury 'em at the--at the summit.

And I felt like that was the best way, for one, to honor Cody Childers, that he would have loved to do something like this, you know what I mean?

Honor him, honor, you know, Anthony Matteoni, Jason Calo, Artem Lazukin.

You know, all these guys are real deal warriors.

Peter: That accomplishment is extraordinary.

Very few people can do that.

It takes a special person, it takes a special mind, and not everybody makes it.

Ashley: After he climbed, I think it just gave him this confidence in himself that he can do anything.

He left something on that mountain, grief or whatever he had still, that he was having a hard time with, like, it was like, really therapeutic for him in a way.

And it was like, okay, like, I'm good.

Like, I got this.

And then for years we were just living our life.

I went to school and Julian was figuring out what to do next.

♪♪♪ ♪ I think you're changing again.

♪ ♪ You're deranging again.

♪ ♪ You're acting very, very strange again.

♪ ♪ I think you're changing again.

♪ ♪ When I can't tell my heaven from hell, ♪ ♪ I can't tell my hell from places ♪ ♪ that I know so well.

♪ Julian: What are you doing?

Huh, what are you doing, huh?

JJ, what you doing, bud?

Huh, did you break it?

Oh, no, there she is looking angelic.

As pretty as can be.

Look at her.

Julian: Today was kind of a weird day.

I was--I was at a picnic with my son and my wife.

It was at a local park and it was all fine and dandy.

We were the only ones there and stuff.

And then, people started showing up.

A bunch of little kids came in and stuff like that and all these kids were like, just staring and whispering to their friends and people don't understand that I am not a monster and you shouldn't look at me as a monster and you shouldn't stare at my wife and at my son and whisper because, guess what, like, I can hear you whispering and I can feel your stares.

Maybe I'm just full of it.

Maybe I'm just venting.

Maybe I feel like the world should--should cater to me.

But I don't think I'm the problem.

I think the mainstream society who don't find themselves in predicaments where they have to lose or have to sacrifice or have to make a decision to go left, to go right.

I think those people that have never been out of their comfort zone and never been in a place where they've experienced growth within themselves, I think those people are the problem.

♪♪♪ Doug Holcomb: I met Julian when he was bringing his son and his daughter, JJ and Alicia, to join jiu-jitsu.

I knew he was a Marine, I could tell, and then I saw his legs and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that something happened.

And I wanted to get to know who he was.

My name's Doug Holcomb.

I'm a retired Marine and I'm currently the owner of Gracie Barra Oceanside.

I remember watching Julian sit in his chair and he would watch Alicia and JJ train jujitsu.

But I just--I felt like there was so much more than just watching jiu-jitsu.

So I would--I would literally just walk outside.

It was like, "Hey, when's it your turn to get on the mat?"

And he would just laugh at me and he was like.

Julian: "Well, Captain Obvious, I ain't got no legs."

Doug: So?

Julian: It's kind of expensive, man.

Doug: And then that's when I brought up the We Defy organization.

Doug: Hey, guys, it's Professor Doug here from Gracie Barra Oceanside and I got Mr. Julian here and I just wanted to take a quick second and kind of tell you why I think he should be allowed this grant through the We Defy Foundation.

As I always like the We Defy Foundation, what are you guys all about?

You're about helping veterans overcome PTSD and enhancing both the mind, the spirit, and the body.

And this is one thing that I love.

A lot of times we reach out and we try to help veterans.

You guys know I'm a part of it as well.

But the thing about it is this veteran here is more than just wanting or needing help.

He's also out there helping himself.

He travels the country, giving speeches, helping other veterans.

So I think this is a perfect example of how to help a veteran that's already helping veterans.

And that's what we do as a brotherhood within each other.

And I think it's a great example of why he should be a part of the We Defy Foundation and continue his training here at Gracie Barra Oceanside as his daughter, Alicia and his son JJ is already training, and we're soon to get his wife.

So let's get the whole family here, guys, all right?

Kage Salvo: So the We Defy Foundation is a non-profit organization and we put combat veterans into jiu jitsu as a form of therapy and a form of community, bringing them into a community of belonging.

We do that essentially by providing a scholarship for a year and then try to guide them through, you know, their experience with jiu jitsu and their experience with joining a positive community.

Doug: I brought him in, I hand him his gi, he took out the pants, looked at these and said, "What am I gonna do with these?"

A*B* DiLucente: There's a saying, "Clothing makes the man."

My name is A.B.

DiLucente.

I am a 28-year veteran of the Navy and I retired on 1 September, 2001.

Ten days after I retired, 9/11 struck.

And in addition to the shock and, you know, sense of national mourning and distress, there was also a helplessness in that, you know, all that time in the military and now my own country's been attacked and here I am, you know, not--no longer in uniform.

Becoming involved with the Wounded Warriors was somewhat natural.

At heart of the mental rehab for the Marines is to attend a Marine Corps ball.

So it's very important for them to look their best and be in their uniform for their sense of camaraderie.

And so, sewing to make the uniform fit over his prosthetic legs was how we came in contact.

The first thing was a set of dress clothes for a public speaking engagement.

That seemed very normal.

A couple of weeks or months later, there was another call.

"Hey, I'm gonna go surfing."

"Hey, A.B., I'm gonna climb Mount Kilimanjaro."

"I earned my beekeeping certificate."

And then, of course, there was the gi.

"Hey, I need my gi altered."

Okay, Julian, what's a gi?

And then he explained jiu jitsu to me and this was his new pursuit.

♪♪♪ Tim Bleidistel: When I heard Julian was gonna do jiu jitsu, can you believe this?

Ashley: Yeah, when he went for his first class, I was just like, "How is this gonna go," you know?

Doug: I got Julian on the mats and I was like, you know, the guy has no legs.

What am I gonna do?

male: When it comes to veterans coming in to train with us and whatnot, you know, say, someone's missing a limb, a amputee, or they're in a wheelchair, we don't treat 'em any differently than anyone else.

You know, we're gonna hold the door open for him or something like that.

But that's just manners.

But when we get on the mat it's go time.

Doug: Like, there was nothing but respect and you could see that because they went--they went after him.

Doug: Let's get some fun going, guys, all right?

Julian: Yep.

Doug: --on three.

One, two, three.

All right, guys.

Everyone spread out, shake hands, take care of each other.

Combate!

Doug: Combate, it's the significance of the beginning of the battle.

It's begun.

The battle's ensued.

A lot of times I'll see, like, Julian out there on the mats and even if he's lost or whatever, he'll be, like.

Julian: Next competitor.

Doug: Because usually, whoever loses, they get up and they go to the line.

But he was like, no, I'm gonna-- I'm gonna stay.

I'm here already.

[background chatter] [background chatter] [background chatter] Doug: That makes sense?

Julian: It does.

Doug: Sound good?

Julian: It does, see you, Thursday.

Doug: Good work, glad you came, man.

Glad you came.

Doug: Every time there's a competition coming up, I'm always like, "All right, who's next?

Who's signing up?

Let's go, guys."

And out of nowhere.

Doug: And we had Julian sign up.

Doug: And I was like, "Oh, oh sh--" Ashley: And then he tells me he wants to compete.

Do you fight with somebody else who's, you know, missing limbs?

Doug: I was taking a double leg amputee, one below the knee, one above the knee into a competition with normal adults.

And I know a Marine, once he says he's gonna do something, he does it.

A.B.

: It's a real reflection of Julian's character.

I think that he just doesn't accept the status quo.

Peter: And I'm gonna challenge myself and see where I'm really at, mentally and physically.

I think that's Julian's personality.

Tim: That guy, it seems like he can literally do anything he sets his mind to.

Tim Medvetz: I think Teddy Roosevelt actually made a quote about it, you know, it's like being in the arena, you know, and not being with those weak and timid souls.

Peter: Until you actually show up and compete, that's where you can, you know, measure yourself mentally, physically, spiritually, however you want to do it.

And I'm not surprised at all, 7 weeks into that, Julian's already like, "Okay, let's test this.

Let's see where we're at."

Julian: I decided to compete.

The short answer is I do it because I--that's just who I am, dude.

I need to know what's up behind the curtain.

And the only way to do that is to physically throw yourself in the baptism of fire, you know what I mean?

Like, that's the only way I know how to do it.

Doug: And then I became intentional about understanding jiu jitsu from his perspective.

They say jiu jitsu is the human game of chess.

In my opinion, it's all based on your movements.

What do I do if I can't lock a guard and how do I control?

Like, I spent time in my own mind, kind of imagining how can I get this technique to apply to Julian?

Doug: But you're gonna have to remember that--you're gonna have to figure out, it's gonna have to be multidirectional.

Doug: As the professor of the school, it's my responsibility, you know?

Am I--am I doing right by you?

Am I doing right by training you, you know?

But it's even amplified with Julian because he's--I called him out, you know, "Hey, who's gonna--who's ready to compete?"

Julian: You know, none of this would happen if we didn't communicate and come together and share each other's dreams and share each other's goals.

Oftentimes, I say like, being a double amputee, that's a full-time job in itself, you know, constantly texting the prothesist, scheduling with the VA, ordering medicines, making sure I get adequate wheelchair time so that my legs can heal so I don't have, like, open scrapes going into the mat, so I don't get an infection.

So I don't, you know, get a staph infection or something like that, that will take me out of my legs for 6-plus months.

And then at the same time making sure that, you know, doing what I can to help this family take care of whatever they need to take care of.

At the end of the day, I do feel like it's pushing myself way out of my comfort zone.

It keeps me up.

Sometimes I'm like, oh dude, maybe I should do, like, a few push-ups here, you know, that's extra in the bank that I didn't get, you know, or do something, you know, get back in the gym or do, you know, maybe I should throw around the medicine ball.

Maybe I should push the sled a little bit.

Maybe I should, maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't.

At the end of the day, man, like you, you know, it's like having a kid.

You're never fully prepared, you're never--you can never do enough.

You can never save enough.

You, at the end of the day, I could read all the books and watch all the YouTube videos on how to swim.

At the end of the day, I just got to jump in the pool and get wet, and I'm ready for it, man.

At least I think I am.

This is how you work out.

It's progressive overload.

And what is progressive overload?

Basic down simple like you either add weight, you add reps, but you never do the same workout if you wanna grow.

So you're always adding something.

So like, let's say for instance, we hit up 135 and we write down and we record 135.

Doug: Can we go, like, 136?

Julian: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

But by taking stops, so like, progressive overload, right?

So what is that really look like?

That looks like we're two, three, four, five, rack.

Good.

Easy, big guy.

Easy days, man.

Doug: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Julian: You're stronger, Doug.

Doug: Yeah, man.

Julian: You're stronger than you--than we even know.

Doug: I didn't think I could hit that.

I really, I didn't even think I was gonna--I could hit 225.

That's it, big guy, come on.

Let's go, buddy.

Stay in the box.

Julian: Give me a lift.

Doug: You've got it.

One, no, one, two, three, lift.

Come on, all the way down, all the way down.

Press.

The last one counted though.

That was all you, buddy.

[triumphant laughing] both: Yeah!

Julian: Woo.

Julian: Today I pushed 245 for the first time.

I felt like wanting to hit 225 in like 6 to 8 months, maybe.

I picked up my motorcycle, right?

Brand new gold calipers.

Beautiful machine.

I got to ride her home.

My wife was following me in my car that I was able to purchase this weekend.

My son's birthday is tomorrow.

He turns 13.

My kids are healthy.

My wife's amazing.

I have an amazing school and it's amazing how sometimes you've lived in the darkness so long, it's hard to appreciate when you've been blessed.

I can't just be comfortable like climbing a mountain, Doug.

I can't just be comfortable.

Like there's always like, "Well--" Curiosity killed the cat, Doug.

You know what I mean?

It's like, it's like, but I-- but like.

Doug: It's a lesson in our growth.

Julian: Yeah, dude, I mean, like there's certain people that I think they just require a certain amount of adversity.

Doug: And you need it.

It gets to the point where you need that resistance.

Julian: Not a lot of--not a lot of schools teach through pain, you know what I mean?

And humility.

And that's all this is, that's all this is.

So at the end of it, man, I'm here for you, bro.

I enjoy it.

male: What really gets me with Julian too is if we haven't talked for a little bit, like, he'll reach out, "Hey, how's it going?

Hey, what's going on?

How's life going?"

It's almost, the roles are reversed.

Like, I'm supposed to be, you know, mentor to him and bringing him into the jiu jitsu world, but he's actually mentoring me.

Doug: I mean, everyone knows how much he's overcome, stepping on the mats, doing those battles.

I mean, those are all given.

It's hard to explain in words what his friendship means and how we've just grown together.

Ashley: With Doug.

I did have more trust in him.

He was gonna have his best interests and be mindful of that.

Doug: He only trains, like, maybe once or twice a week.

So I was like, all right, when are you open?

Are you willing to come in to get some personal one on one with me?

And he was--he was down for it.

And that's really when I kind of focused in on the game that I thought that it was gonna be best for him, which was the lapels.

We started working off how to get off your back and lapel attacks.

Doug: So we're here.

Now I come in with this, right?

So, now this hand's gonna switch and it's gonna go over the other side right?

Over, like this.

Yep, now you come in, settle, squeeze.

Bring the elbow into your body.

Julian: And I think that was important too because it helped me kind of understand because it was one on one that time.

Doug: Such a pretty face --into.

Julian: And so it let me dive deeper.

What are your worries?

What's in your mind right now?

That I'm not enough.

She's too good for me.

That I'm not worthy.

That I'm a liability, not an asset.

That I'm not smart enough.

That I'm just a dumb grunt.

That I can't do it because I'm missing half my body.

I worry what my kids think about me.

I worry about when they're 35 and what will they say?

What story will they remember about their father?

You know, I just hope my kids look at me as like somebody who is trying.

That doesn't give up.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Doug: So Julian shows up the day of the competition and I'm scared.

Ashley: I was just, "Okay."

Like, I was so nervous for him.

I think I was more nervous for him or just as nervous as he was.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ female: Julian!

Julian: Hey!

announcer: Andrew Bell.

Crazy--Oceanside.

Doug: Julian goes out.

They're like, "Hey, Julian's at the mat.

Julian's at the mat."

I'm like, "Okay, cool."

Boom.

I take off, give him a little pep talk and then it unfolds.

Doug: Let's go, Julian.

It's time to eat.

Julian: So when I'm getting there, dude, I'm hopping out of my wheelchair and I'm about to walk onto the mat or hop onto the mat or scoot onto the mat for the very first time.

It was super-scary because I didn't do, like, I don't know this guy, I don't know how this is gonna play out.

I've never done this before.

I've never even been to a jiu jitsu match before.

Here I am, gonna do it.

What am I gonna do?

Just not do it just because I'm scared?

There's not enough reason to stop this.

So there was no other way around it and I had--I had to take a step forward.

[crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] male: Neck and neck.

Ready and slow.

Got about 3 1/2 minutes.

There you go.

Push the arm to the opposite side of your hand, Julian.

Both hands on that arm.

There you go.

[crowd noise] [crowd noise] [crowd noise] male: There you go.

Let's go, Julian.

You got 3 minutes, bud.

There you go.

All right there.

[crowd noise] male: Let's go, Julian.

Don't exceed-- Get off your back, get off your back.

You've got 2 minutes to work, Julian.

There you go, push.

Get on your side, Julian.

Keep pushing.

Get on your side.

Lock it up.

Gotta push.

Push him down.

Doug: It ended and Julian got submitted and immediately, I was worried.

I was really, really worried.

I didn't want him to feel like this was a failure.

♪♪♪ announcer: Ryan-- please go to mat number 10.

Gracie Barra Oceanside, please check in to the podium.

[applauding] [cheering] Doug: You're good, you're good, you're good.

Got a little blood coming from the right leg.

Julian: Yeah, I know.

Doug: How's that feel?

Julian: Feels good, man.

Doug: Feels real good, doesn't it?

Julian: Yeah, it does, Doug.

Amazing.

Doug: Yeah, it was like being alive again, right?

Julian: That's it, Doug.

Doug: That was some good, man.

That was some damn good.

Understand?

Julian: It is.

Doug: Yeah, man.

Very good.

Who would have thought, man?

Who would have thought, man?

And here we are, here we are, man.

Peter: How would I define a hero?

Doug: Ooh, that's hard, you know?

A.B.

: To me nowadays, hero seems to be a very overused word.

Peter: Somebody that always puts others first and is not selfish.

A.B.

: The ones who do something that's above and beyond themselves.

But also the ones who sustain that.

male: The things you do day to day and the actions that you take day to day, that's what makes a hero.

Tim Bleidistel: A hero is someone who risks everything, life and limb, literally.

Steps into the valley of the shadow of death.

male: He's a hero to his children and his wife.

He's a hero to other combat-wounded veterans.

Doug: He's a reminder of no matter what your situation is, you don't stop living.

Julian: What a rush, dude.

What a rush.

You know what I mean?

Like, with the kids here, I wanted to show them like, how to lose with grace.

You know what I mean?

Like, because you can't always win them, you know what I mean?

And it's just legit, level ten, level ten, the rush.

I don't think I took a breath.

I was--it was so like, just exciting, man, you know what I mean?

And my girl right here, man.

Oh, mija.

We did it, Bean.

It's all good.

Analicia: I'm so proud of you.

Julian: I'm proud of you too, buddy.

Analicia: My dad is my hero.

He's very much my hero.

I love him so, so much.

I love him this much... bigger than Earth.

You're the best dad in the whole entire world and I love you.

[crowd noise] Julian: We did it, Champ.

Oh.

Tim: A guy like Julian, the actions in Afghanistan, you know, those are, those are witnessed by the people around him, but back here, we all witnessed it.

Julian: This competition may be over but I'm far from being done.

♪ Hero, I am on my way back home.

♪ ♪ Hero, I can feel you.

♪ ♪ You have always shown the light in dark.

♪ ♪ Yeah, you have always known ♪ ♪ the burning heart of this hero.

♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Yeah, I spent night after night alone, ♪ ♪ mending all of these broken bones, ♪ ♪ then you can bring my heart back home, ♪ ♪ help me up and carry on.

♪ ♪ When it come time to rise up, ♪ ♪ yeah, when it come time to shine.

♪ ♪ Hero, I will find you.

♪ ♪ Hero, I am on my way back home.

♪ ♪ Hero, I can feel you.

♪ ♪ You have always shown the light in dark.

♪ ♪ You have always grown in this beating heart.

♪ ♪ Yeah, you've been right beside me, ♪ ♪ standing guard.

♪ ♪ Yeah, you have always known ♪ ♪ the burning heart of this hero.

♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ooh ♪ ♪ Gone by the morning.

♪ ♪ Hold on, buddy.

♪ ♪ Someday's gonna be one day soon.

♪ ♪ They promised hope.

♪ ♪ But I've heard all that before.

♪ ♪ And all the blood I poured ♪ ♪ won't be your free ride back to shore.

♪ ♪ I've been thinking, ♪ ♪ and we all want a taste of fate.

♪ ♪ But lately all I hope is that my kid's proud ♪ ♪ of his name.

♪ ♪ Sometimes I want to be on my own, ♪ ♪ but I don't want to die alone.

♪ ♪ If it wasn't for your loving, ♪ ♪ I'd be gone by the morning.

♪♪ ♪♪♪