Photo courtesy A Step Ahead Prosthetics and Orthotics
Sebastian Cila enlisted in the U.S. Army’s National Guard in Nov. 2001. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment from New York, was deployed to Iraq in Oct. 2004. Cila’s year-long tour was coming to a close when he was severely injured by an IED blast on July 4, 2005, after standing outside his vehicle while investigating a suspicious object on the outskirts of the Green Zone in Baghdad. The blast traumatized his left side, causing crucial damage to his brachial artery, left bicep and tricep. Since the injury, Cila has received over 40 surgeries to help repair the damage, including the amputation of his left hand on Dec. 18, 2008. “I spent three years fighting a never ending battle,” Cila said. “I took every opportunity available to me to try and fight the inevitable.”
In April 2007, Cila’s life took a dramatic turn for the better when he was introduced to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and its Operation Rebound. The program gives those people with permanent disabilities the opportunity to heal through multisport athletics. Since he’s been sponsored by Operation Rebound, Cila has competed in eight Ironman 70.3 triathlons, and many multisprints and Olympic triathlons. He’s also conquered the grueling task of multi-stage bike rides across California and Florida, covering 600 miles in five days, in both destinations. In 2009, Cila placed third at the USA Paratriathlon National Championship and placed fourth at the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Australia. “I’ve realized that my disability doesn't define me,“ Cila told StrengthUSA.com. “It’s what I do with it that will define me.”
On Oct. 9, 2010 Cila will travel to Kona, Hawaii to complete in the Ironman World Championship. “My motivation is the men and woman of our armed forces, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those wounded and laying in a hospital,” he said. “Every swim stroke, every mile on the bike and every step on the run is in honor of those great warriors. I am still a soldier and a warrior. I will never give up or quit on my team.”
Visit Sebastian Cila's Website: www.multisportsoldier.com.
