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Marine Who Lost Leg In Afghanistan Now Hot Underwear Model
A former U.S. Marine who lost his leg is now an underwear model that would put David Beckham to shame.
Alex Minsky, of Venice Beach, was riding in a Humvee when it was hit by a roadside bomb in 2009. The Marine Corporal was in a coma for 47 days.
"I had to relearn how to do everything. How to walk, how to talk, how to think, how to listen, how to see," the 24-year-old told KCAL.
He lost half his leg in the accident and has burn scars all over his arms, now covered in tattoos.
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"I didn't set out to be an underwear model; I just like taking care of myself and working out. It just so happens that I look good in underwear," he told the NY Daily News.
He was given a prosthetic leg and underwent intensive therapy but, at first, he was devastated by the loss of his leg and took to alcohol to numb the pain. "I was just living numb," he told the NY Daily News. "Just running away from all those problems in life and thinking that a drink would fix everything. Now I know that that's not [the case]."
Once he decided to get sober and start working out, he was discovered just two days later by a photographer. "He said, 'Have you ever modeled before? Has anyone ever approached you for that?'" Minsky told KCAL of the fateful meeting, which was just last December.
Minsky's modeling career immediately took off and he now shoots ads for underwear, jewelry and tattoo ads.
"Sure if I take my clothes off I'll look good in my underwear. But that's not what it's about," he told KCAL. "It's about being balanced and having my head on straight." He donates a portion of his modeling fees to the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps those injured in the military.
He hopes his new-found fame will inspire others. "I'm just hoping that people can see me from near or from far away and be given that extra push not to give up," he said.
See more of Minsky's photos at his Facebook page.
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