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Exclusive: 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant J.R. Martinez explores how he made the jump from wounded warrior to acting
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-- -- and unlikely favorite on season thirteenth Dancing With The Stars.
Wounded warrior turned motivational speaker.
Turned TV soap star JR Martinez -- you don't.
But it all man everybody that I talk to so inspired by huge news story -- you do well.
I'm doing great you know -- just the fact that I get an opportunity on this platform now just share with everybody who I am and what I've been able to overcome.
You know my personal story in at the same time educate America on who who the vets are whose troops are their families what they go -- JR has overcome more than most could bear wounded in the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
It was hospitalized put the -- for months in during 33 painful surgeries.
The result of a roadside bomb during the battle of Karbala.
Don't think they're really if that was scared -- was a land mine.
It's amazing to me how that thing that -- most afraid is that thing that got me.
When you -- wounded.
I understand that you thought about your deceased sister to expert -- screaming you know at the top.
Monologues for someone please -- vehicle because I felt the extreme pain that I was going to.
And out of the blue that uses this this quiet calm.
Peaceful -- it came to me an image -- present this helps me in it was my sister is she set me you're gonna be fine because mom needs.
-- over 40% of his body Martinez received critical care in landstuhl Germany.
And well enough moved to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio -- you come through these injuries.
You know -- tough you know nineteen years old.
See in my body my face for the first time in thinking to myself how my gonna continue living like this out like -- -- -- in a world there are based on his onion looks in.
And you know how flights to -- is your -- your face of features in.
There's a lot of questions that -- -- -- myself and there was a lot of dark days but I consider myself I have to continue to believe there's a purpose for this and it was almost like.
April 5 2003 in a fire was like in news is like it medium baptized -- -- a brand new start for me and I had a completes clean -- where.
I can actually choose what I wanted to do with my new life that was given.
It was during that recovery that He discovered -- gift I was asked to visit a patient in the hospital and by visiting him.
It is pretty much gonna click in the light came on -- that I was.
Kept in this world to use my experience -- by the people and that's pretty much -- I'm actually.
JR survival story became his new weapons.
Motivating wounded vets inspiring civilians.
Even -- I'm not in the army anymore.
I'm still serving and I feel like it's -- past successful as a motivational speaker.
Landing the role of -- Monroe in the -- soap All My Children.
-- -- sky west -- a three year run just ending last week.
Also I was privilege claim myself until that story.
I was able to put any emotion into it was on the show for three years and you know it's something that I'm so grateful for to have had that opportunity to share with that that audience and if it wasn't from my children I would even be considered to be on dancing with the start.
JR's dance partner Karina Smirnoff.
What was your reaction when you hurt his back story your anticipation me.
Am I think active first meeting at is that was taken it back a little bit and I want it now what happened and and how she was able to handle it.
That lake.
Sixty seconds into it like -- get so -- in love with a smile this article in the eyes that there are accurate it out it's like you you winding up his story -- -- exploration Alan and -- Heatley went act.
Beat the air -- and now I'm against -- Garnering top scores and critical acclaim from judges and millions watching.
I want to see if it was only good coaching.
It's okay this is the onetime little cute my partner -- to someone else -- -- it.
-- that is not bad rightly that dip.
And quickly learned it was not I feel.
That the reason I've been it would be so successful was because I continue to believe nicotine's dream that continue to.
Have a positive attitude and just maintain my faith -- say if I put all good things -- -- the world.
But the the good things -- come back to me.
