After Denton firefighter Gary Weiland’s leg was amputated just below the knee, he was gifted a prosthetic from a 50 Legs, a prosthetic leg nonprofit.
Since then, he has been committed to giving back to the organization, including part of a $5,000 prize awarded to him on Wednesday by Do Good Heroes, an organization committed to recognizing the work of first responders.
The rest of the money will go to Denton Fire Traditions.
Weiland, a deputy fire marshal with the Denton Fire Department, experienced multiple blood clots that led to 13 hours of surgery and him having his leg amputated just below the knee.
In 2019, a trap shoot event was held to support Weiland. During that time, he was hopeful, and confident, that he would be able to go back to fighting fires.
Soon after, nonprofit 50 Legs reached out and gave him a prosthetic leg, which allowed Weiland to return to work.
About 10 months after his amputation, he was back on a fire truck performing his full duties with no restrictions.
“Gary is living proof that you can make the impossible possible,” said Lauren Coffey of Our Infinite Company, who nominated Weiland to Do Good Heroes. “This recognition is a testament to his hard work and commitment to making a difference. I’m honored to nominate Gary for this award and recognize his service to the community.”
His ability to comeback from such a major setback has given his life even more of a purpose.
Weiland has traveled the country visiting schools, churches and businesses with the message that nobody should give up, no matter what challenges and obstacles they may face.
Not only has Weiland been able to physically prepare himself to serve as a firefighter again, he has competed on American Ninja Warrior twice, becoming the first amputee competitor to make it to the semi-finals, won the U.S. National Championship in March 2023 with the U.S. ParaBobsled Team and ran the Boston Marathon in April 2025.
While training for the Boston Marathon, Weiland raised money for 50 Legs, the nonprofit that gifted him his prosthetic. He raised enough to provide prosthetic legs to two children.
Weiland has also written a children’s book series about overcoming adversity and started a brand called A&O, which stands for Adapt & Overcome.
As a firefighter, Weiland received a Life Saving Medal for saving a man’s life and was named one of the 2024 Faces of Denton.
“Gary is quite busy, but he doesn’t want to take one second of this life for granted,” said Coffee. “He truly believes that you can make the impossible possible. He is living proof of that.”
To learn more about Weiland and Do Good Heroes, visit the organization’s website.
