In 2012, Active Heroes completed a major home repair for wounded veteran, Michael Hayes. The house was virtually gutted and repaired in many ways. Active Heroes installed a handicapped bathroom, new kitchen, new paint throughout the home, wheel chair ramp and even knocked out a wall to build a counter. In all, the project took several days to complete but the impact was huge for Michael who has continued to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

“I finally felt like I was home,” said Michael Hayes. “It means a lot to me to have my home repaired. Thank you all for helping me.”

After years of wrestling in the Triple A market, Michael recently submitted a video to join the WWE Tough Enough reality TV show  campaign. Out of more than eleven thousand submissions, Michael was selected into the top 40 contestants. He was flown to Orlando, Florida to compete in a boot camp style tryout that is physically grueling. Only 13 of the 40 contestants would be chosen to move forward with the TV show, while the others were able to show their talents to the WWE.

“Michael knows what it is to be Tough Enough,” said founder of Active Heroes, Troy Yocum. “While serving in the U.S. Army, Michael’s Humvee was hit by an IED blast, ultimately causing him to lose his left leg and several more veterans to lose their lives. It’s amazing to watch him wrestle and inspire so many people to never give up.”

Though Michael was not ultimately selected for the TV show, WWE superstars were able to see Michael defy odds and wrestle with inspiration. Hundreds of followers on social media have been impacted also. There has even been a hashtag that was shared; #Mikeisawesome.

All of us at Active Heroes are proud of Michael’s journey and wish him continued success in accomplishing his dream of joining the WWE. For everyone who personally knows Michael, we can all say that he is “Tough enough!”