Dan Nevins: “I no longer wear a uniform, but I’m still a warrior”

Dan Nevins‘ story is an incredible one – full of horror, hardship, and above all, hope. This remarkable man was not always a renowned yoga instructor and motivational speaker. He served in the US army during the Iraq War as an infantry squad leader, until November 2004, when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Dan lost both of his legs in the blast, as well as his friend Sergeant First Class Mike Ottoloni.

“When I opened my eyes, I realized I had been ejected from the vehicle,“ Dan says. “When I reached up for my legs, they were still up inside the vehicle. I realized my femoral artery was severed in the blast and then I just screamed out for a medic.”

Dan Nevins was then transferred to a hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate both of his legs below the knees. He was treated for some time in Germany. Since then, Dan has undergone 32 surgeries. He found great help from Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit charity organization that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans. Still, the emotional scars left behind were in many ways more severe than the physical ones.

Dan was bedridden for 8 weeks in 2013 after another surgery. During that time, he suffered traumatic flashbacks from his time in Iraq. Eventually, a friend of his suggested he try yoga.

Even though he was reluctant at first, he finally caved and to his surprise, discovered a new life’s meaning. “I felt this real surge of energy from the earth, up into my body and into my soul, ” he says. His passion encouraged him to complete yoga instructor training in 2014, and now, despite his injuries, he teaches and inspires hundreds of people, both civilians and war veterans, all over the world.

Dan Nevins considers his work as a yoga instructor to be the most important he has ever done, but does not regret his time in the military. “It was horrible, it was painful, and it was worth it,” he says.

Text vznikl v rámci kurzu Angličtina pro žurnalisty pod vedením Mgr. Aleny Proškové.

Foto: Facebook.com