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Wounded Marine Loses Leg, Becomes Super HOT Underwear Model, 'I Want People To Look At Me And Not Give Up'
![Marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/480x251/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/640x335/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/768x402/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/1024x536/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/1280x670/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/1440x753/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/1600x837/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/NarJYDS0Y/2160x1130/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_rotator.jpg?position=top 2160w)
Jun. 19 2013, Published 9:40 a.m. ET
Move over David Beckham!
Alex Minsky isn't just really, really hot—which he is.....to the Nth degree—he's also an amazing guy with a super inspiring story, and OKMagazine.com has all the details.
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/vrD-S4cwI/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_1.jpg 2160w)
Minsky was just 21 years old and enlisted in the United States Marine Corp when he was injured in a horrific explosion.
The Costa Mesa native was on a tour of Afghanistan when he and his fellow Marines fell victim to a roadside bomb.
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/aiJqUX9e3/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_2.jpg 2160w)
Alex immediately lost consciousness after suffering traumatic brain injuries and severe burns to his body and fell into a coma for 47 days.
When he finally awoke, he discovered he had lost his right leg as a result of his injuries and during the subsequent long rehabilitation process he fell into a deep depression and started drinking heavily.
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/V1b4D4KAx/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_4.jpg 2160w)
He quickly started on a downward spiral, which was exacerbated by the tragic, sudden death of his younger brother.
“I was down,” Minsky told ABC News. “I was numb and I was running away from everything…especially myself, my own head.”
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/iuP9PFwp1/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_5.jpg 2160w)
Then, one day he decided he had to pull himself out of his funk, stop drinking and hit the gym….
And, that's when his life took a very sharp upturn!
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![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/n7x-9WsZy/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_6.jpg 2160w)
“I didn’t want to run anymore,” he said. “I wanted to face my problems instead.”
While at the gym the now 24-year-old was spotted by a photographer.
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HkHUg0b3R/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_7.jpg 2160w)
“He approached me and said, ‘Have you ever modeled? Like what are you? What are you doing?’” Minsky told ABC.
Now, Alex is burning up the modeling world, showing off the results of his grueling four hour a day workout regime as an underwear and fashion model.
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/HTB4hfzwF/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_3.jpg 2160w)
But, he wants to be way more than a handsome face and a rocking' body—Alex also wants to be an inspiration to other people with disabilities.
"Just because I don't have a leg doesn't mean it's going to slow me down," Minsky says. "I want people to look at me and not give up. Not quit."
![//marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_](https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/480x293/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 480w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/640x390/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 640w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/768x468/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 768w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/1024x624/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 1024w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/1280x780/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 1280w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/1440x877/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 1440w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/1600x974/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 1600w, https://media.okmagazine.com/brand-img/i4ifRYPiR/2160x1315/2013/06/marine_turned_model_lost_leg_stack_9.jpg 2160w)
What do you think of Alex Minsky's story? Sound off in comments below and tweet us @OKMagazine
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