Michael Diehl’s competitive nature didn’t go away when he lost his right arm last March in a firehouse accident.
In fact, it’s only fanned those competitive flames more intensely.
Diehl, a volunteer Franklin firefighter, was injured in March 2015 while helping to guide a fire engine back into the station. Diehl’s right arm was shattered after it became pinned between the fire engine backing up and the station house wall. The accident required amputation of his right arm.
Prior to his injury, Diehl competed in various challenges as part of teams or individually, including the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge where he qualified for the event’s World championship in 2010 and 2011. He placed 100th in the individual phase of the World championship.
“My goal is to inspire people to never quit, no matter what gets in the way,” he said. “I believe that hard work always beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Diehl has been training to compete in the Challenge’s first competition on April 21-23 in Indianapolis. That course includes wearing full gear, a mask and air bottle and running up a five-story tower with a 42-pound hose pack. Once on top of the tower, the firefighter has to then pull up another 42-pound hose pack from the ground.