John Tuzzolino admits his spinal cord injury was a tough weight to manage at first. "A few years after I got hurt, I got into weightlifting, and a lot of things I used to do," he said. With each workout, he lifted more weight and began to clean up at state and national competitions.

He was also lifting the spirits of those who happened to working out with him. Betsy Grey has been working out with Tuzzolino for 15 years. "He always inspires me everytime I see him working out. I figure I have to work harder."

But his real focus has been sharing his experience with fellow veterans. "I kind of like walked that road before, so I can talk to them and I know what they're gonna go through and how things are; and I can answer their questions," Tuzzolino said.

At an autograph session at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, his gold medal inspiration continues to earn him praise. Meanwhile, our next bowl of cereal may be all it takes for John Tuzzolino to challenge us to get in shape. Next month he'll be one of 12 veterans to be featured as a Cheerios cereal champion.

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