Sgt. Christopher Melendez is our inspirational person of the month. Growing up in Spanish Harlem in New York, Chris dreamed about becoming a pro wrestler and serving his country. In 2004, at age 17, he joined the army the first chance he got.

Chris served mostly as a machine gunner, and was used to the daily attacks on his unit. On September 29th, 2006 a single IED attack changed his life. Just 23 days shy of the end of his deployment, Chris lost his lower left leg due to an IED explosion. After recovering in a hospital in Germany and then Texas, Chris needed time to deal with his emotional and mental scars.

Chris started working on film sets with the help of the wounded warrior project. However, the dream to become a wrestler still lingered. That’s when the wounded warrior project stepped in again and Chris was introduced to TNA wrestler, Ken Anderson. From there Chris was introduced to may pro wrestlers and was very successful in his training. So successfully in fact his trainer, TNA star Mark “Bully Ray” LoMonaco, approached TNA about officially signing Chris. They were equally excited, and Chris was given a multi-year contract.