The theme for week four on “Dancing With The Stars” asked the contestants to create a dance about the most memorable year of their lives. And Noah Galloway’s segment packed a big punch. The Iraq veteran chose 2005: the year he lost two limbs in an IED.
Galloway recounted how, on his second deployment to Iraq, he was on a night patrol when his Humvee hit a trip wire that detonated a roadside bomb. Galloway woke up six days later, in Washington, D.C. with his left arm and left leg both gone. He explained that the injury was understandably devastating, as he loved his career in the Army and was a physical person who enjoyed working out and being active. Now, he felt like all of that was taken away. He put on a brave face for his family, but inside he was struggling. He began drinking to cope with the trauma and sank into a depression. And then one day, he realized that he still had a lot left to live for and that he needed to change. He got back into the gym, started living a healthier life and turned everything around.
He became a motivational speaker and personal trainer. He started running again, competing in races like the Spartan Race and Tough Mudder, and got involved in CrossFit. He landed a cover of Men’s Health magazine, and now, he’s dancing on “Dancing With The Stars.”
His emotional contemporary with partner Sharna Burgess was performed to the tune of Toby Keith’s “American Soldier,” and at the end of the dance, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house — not even for Galloway, who fought back tears as he finished. The judges were also moved, and awarded him a 32 for his emotional dance. “It’s like I had to be injured. I had to go through that dark time to get where I am today,” Galloway said. “This dance represents the journey of acceptance, from the man I was to the man I’ve become.”
