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Special to the Journal-World

Mike Gallardo, a retired U.S. Army sergeant from Los Angeles, had his lower left leg amputated in 2007 after he was injured by improvised explosive devices in Iraq. Gallardo, who competes in triathlons with Operation Rebound though the Challenged Athletes Foundation, will be in Lawrence this weekend to run 13.1 miles as a part of the Ironman 70.3 Kansas.

Mike Gallardo easily could have given up.

When he was 3 years old, his parents had divorced. Six years later his mother died from cancer. Growing up in Los Angeles, he saw several of his family members join gangs.

When he graduated from high school in 2004, Gallardo joined the U.S. Army to take a new path.

In February 2007, two improvised explosive devices detonated under his Humvee during a night mission in Iraq. An injury to his left ankle eventually forced doctors to amputate his foot, leaving him with a prosthetic left leg from the calf down.

On Sunday, Gallardo, 24, will run 13.1 miles as part of the Kansas Ironman 70.3 triathlon at Clinton State Park.

“I just want to be one of those people who inspires people,” said Gallardo, now a retired Army sergeant.

His athleticism and perseverance have made Gallardo a promising competitor — and one of the youngest involved in the Operation Rebound program, which assists disabled veterans through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, said Nico Marcolongo, the program manager.

Operation Rebound athletes Oscar “Oz” Sanchez and Anthony Smith will also be in Lawrence to compete in the event.

More than 2,000 triathletes are expected to participate in the Ironman 70.3 that starts at 8 a.m. Sunday at Clinton State Park. Gallardo will participate in only the 13.1-mile run and skip the 1.2-mile swim and 56-mile bike ride because he recently injured his right ankle in a car accident.

Marcolongo said that when he first discovered Gallardo at the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma, he noticed Gallardo’s athleticism and his competitive desire.

Gallardo said his rehab had already consisted of swimming and biking, so the triathlon became a natural goal. His first major event was the Silverman Triathlon in Nevada, which is considered one of the toughest courses in the country.

“He just went out and did it, and it was like ‘Wow, man,’” Marcolongo said. “He’s got a lot of raw talent, and he’s got a lot of desire.”

Gallardo hopes to conquer bigger challenges in the future.

He works for his father, Gilbert Gallardo, at a cold-storage warehouse, and he is finishing up at junior college before he plans to transfer to California State University in Fullerton to study kinesiology and athletic training. Gallardo also hopes to continue his triathlon career internationally because, well, nothing has stopped him before.

He still often thinks of his mother, Debbie Lee Palmer.

“I know that she is looking down on me. So I just want to keep going and going until I meet my goal,” he said. “I never quit in my life for anything.”