“I will never quit.” That statement is not just a phrase on Captain Iván Castro’s Army Special Forces insignia.

It’s both a statement of purpose as well as the philosophy by which he lives his life.

Tip of the Spear, a publication dedicated to supporting our troops, perfectly illustrated this story of Captain Iván Castro.

While fighting insurgents in a mud-walled compound in Iraq, a mortar hit the rooftop on which Captain Castro was standing. The grave nature of his wounds made it necessary for medics to check his dog tags to identify him; there were gaping holes where his shoulder, buttocks, parts of his legs and right index finger had been.

Captain Castro awoke to the darkness of irreversible blindness and a deep, lingering and utterly debilitating despair. Castro even wished that he had not escaped traumatic brain injury, reasoning that at least that would have prevented his knowing how his life was ruined.

All of this began to turn around as he recognized that other soldiers, those who had experienced traumatic brain injury and were now unaware of their surroundings, were much worse off than he was. When Captain Castro met Mike Jernigan, a Marine veteran who had also lost his eyesight in service to his country, and saw the way in which he had rebuilt his life despite his blindness, Castro resolved to make his own life the best it could be. And he would start by running in the next Marine Corps marathon.

Since that time, Castro has competed in the 2012 Warrior Games, ridden a bicycle across the country and taken part in numerous marathons, including the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

When asked why he continues in his exhausting efforts, he simply replies, “I will never quit. They’re more than just words on a shirt.”

I share his story because it says so much to so many people in different walks of life.

In my next blog, I’ll lead us through the concepts of destructive or constructive anxiety, and how to approach things in a positive light

Thanks for sharing the journey with us.

For questions about this post or for information on becoming a fearless leader, contact Dr. Cathy Greenberg and The Fearless Leader Group at (888) 320-1299 or by email at hello@fearlessequalsfreedom.com.