The fact that Nick Santonastasso statistically shouldn’t even be alive is unbelievable. But then you see what he does in the gym, and “unbelievable” takes on a whole new meaning. The 20-year-old from New Jersey was born missing both of his legs, his right arm and all but one finger on his left hand. He’s one of the most inspiring people you’ll see in the gym because he has never let that get in his way.
Santonastasso was born with Hanhart syndrome, an extremely rare condition that left him legless and missing an arm. According to his YouTube post, “My Life Story,” Santonastasso is one of only 12 people that have ever been born with the condition. “Of those 12, 8 of them are dead,” he said in the video.
His Instagram is full of videos and pictures of him in the gym, coming up with creative and inspiring ways to work the muscles he does have. He doesn’t use prosthetics to get around – he is pictured usually standing upright on what is left of his legs, rarely without a massive grin.
Santonastasso gained fame as a teenager with his prank videos – notably,
this one where he dressed up as a zombie and scared
Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. Today, he spends most of his time in the gym and doing motivational speaking.
This guy is a prime example of living life to the fullest, and is seriously motivating. One thing is for sure: After checking out his videos, Santonastasso leaves with literally zero excuses for the gym.
This article was originally published on MensHealth.com