Mike
Gallardo

Paralympian 2020

Athlete Bio#

6'0"

Los Angeles, CA

Montebello High School (Montebello, Calif.) ‘03

Classification: F64

Born and raised by a single mother in Los Angeles, Mike Gallardo faced a difficult childhood with the death of his mother, Debbie, at 10 years old to cancer
Raised by his aunt, Gallardo turned down a college baseball scholarship to enlist in the U.S. Army after the September 11th terrorist attacks
Also his birthday, September 11 took on a new meaning as he took it as a sign that he was meant to do something bigger than baseball
After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he was on his first combat tour in Iraq in January 2007 when he sustained a severe injury to his right leg at the Achilles tendon after two IEDs simultaneously detonated beneath his truck
After nine months of unsuccessful limb salvage, he decided to amputate his leg below the knee so he could continue to lead an active lifestyle
He returned home to Texas and received the Purple Heart for his service
After retiring from the Army, he completed the renowned Kona IRONMAN in 15 hours and 36 minutes nine months after his amputation
In 2016, Gallardo applied to a graphic design internship with the MLB Network Veterans Apprenticeship Program where within a year, he had won a Best Visual Emmy for his work on the intro MLB Tonight
He continues to stay involved in sports, including softball, Crossfit and track and field.