Staying upright while rolling on a floating log is hard enough, but J.R. Salzman, an Iraq veteran who lost his right hand in the war, not only performed that feat but also earned the title of champion in the process.
Salzman beat out a field of top international competitors last weekend to win the Men's Log Roll event at the 50th annual Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wis., FOX 21 reported. The event entailed a series of head-to-head matches won by whichever competitor could say on his log longest without falling into the water.
In December 2006, Salzman lost his right hand and damaged nerves in his left after a roadside bomb hit his Humvee while he was serving in northwest Baghdad, according to The Leader-Telegram. He now uses a body-powered prosthetic for his right hand.
"Regardless of my injuries, I can still log roll. I can still win. I can still accomplish things and I'm alive, I'm still here. I'm going to enjoy life," Salzman told FOX 21.
His wife Josie was equally proud. "It was so amazing. To see him win a world title such a short period after being injured is just phenomenal. I's such a great feeling," she told FOX 21.
Salzman defeated Jamie Fischer in the finals. It is Salzman’s seventh world title.
Click here for the video from FOX 21.
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