About Gary Weiland
Gary Weiland was nominated by Lauren Coffey of Our Infinite Company.
Mr. Weiland was a firefighter in Denton, TX, for seven years. He experienced a series of very unfortunate events. His leg was amputated just below his knee.
Mr. Weiland decided this tragedy would not end his career or passion for fighting fires. After his leg amputation, a nonprofit called 50 Legs reached out and gave him a prosthetic leg so he could return to work. This organization helps kids, veterans, and first responders get prosthetic legs.
Ten months and six days after his amputation, he was back on the fire truck, performing his full duties with no restrictions. Mr. Weiland's faith, family, and fortitude were the driving factors in getting back to being a Firefighter. Now, he is on a mission to show the world that you can overcome and adapt to anything that happens to you!
Since returning to full-duty firefighting, Mr. Weiland has become a motivational speaker. He travels the country, speaking at schools, churches, and business conferences about overcoming obstacles and challenges in life. You can often find him wearing a superhero suit called the FAN-MAN (Firefighter Amputee Ninja-Man), which the kids have a lot of fun with. He teaches people to never give up, no matter what.
Mr. Weiland has competed on NBC's American Ninja Warrior twice! He recently made history as the first amputee to make it to the Semi-Finals. Mr. Weiland is also a member of the U.S. ParaBobsled Team. He has been to Norway twice and won the U.S. National Championship in March of 2023 at the Olympic Bobsled Track in Lake Placid, New York.
Mr. Weiland is currently training to run the Boston Marathon in April. Through the Marathon, he's raising funds for 50 Legs so they can provide prosthetic legs to two children. Mr. Weiland has also written a children's book series about overcoming adversity.
Most recently, he started his own brand called A&O, which stands for Adapt & Overcome. He believes that we are all here for a purpose and have gifts and abilities meant to be used to help other people. Some businesses have started to partner with Mr. Weiland and have replaced the other brands and logos on their shirts with the A&O logo. He is very humbled to know that other people recognize the meaning behind his brand and are willing to walk alongside him to spread a message of hope and mental strength in this world.
For all his efforts, Mr. Weiland received a Life Saving Medal for saving a man's life. He was also named one of the 2024 Faces of Denton.
"Gary is quite busy, but he doesn't want to take one second of this life for granted," said Coffey. "He truly believes that you can make the impossible possible. He is living proof of that."
