. >> every day is a journey for mike nicholson. just getting from point a to point b is a feat for any triple amputee. but the retired marine sergeant makes a splash every time he pushes his body shattered by an ied in afghanistan in 201. p nicholson is competing at this year's warrior games, organized by the defense department, including teams from the uk and australia. >> much more than fun and games to you. >> absolutely. >> what do they mean to you? >> they mean a lot and you have that thought in the back of your head making your family proud, making your country proud, making your service proud. >> after two years of recovering, darkness settled in with depression and drinking. >> it was hard at first, it really was. i stayed inside a lot. i wouldn't come outside when the sun was up and hang out in the bars too much. >> luckily i met my wife zblext credits wife katy, who he met at a mutual friend's birthday party. daughter cally and newborn son sawyer for helping him find happiness again. >> i could see how much he wanted the

for mike nicholson, summertime is a tough time of year. >> a lot of guys got hit. >> reporter: including40-pound ied in afghanistan. took both legs and my left arm. >> reporter: at first there was a lot of drinking, anger, and depression. but then he met his wife, and they married and started a family. she had a challenge, what if he tried exercising again. >> i mean, i'll give it a shot. find out that you're going to be a lot happier in life. >> reporter: this weekend he gave his all in the military's wounded warrior games celebrating those hurt defending america. mike has won gold and silver medals for track. and competes in wheelchair basketball. and maybe most amazing of all, swimming. >> i love swimming, and i found out once i got in the water i still could swim pretty well. >> reporter: also at the games, mike celebrated his "alive day," the day he was wounded. now it's filled with competition and reflection. >> feeling you are having a tough day, getting out here and getting a little sweat going and some physical exertion, i think it's the best medicine. >> so tonight, we salute m

for mike nicholson, summertime is a tough time of year. >> it's generally a little rougher because thatd in afghanistan, we lost a guy, and a lot of guys got hit. >> reporter: including mike. >> i got hit by a 40-pound ied in afghanistan. took both legs and my left arm. >> reporter: his new body, and the life that came with it brought a lot of anger and depression. mike says he started drinking. >> the days haven't always been the easiest ones. >> reporter: but then he met his wife, and they married and started a family. she had a challenge for him, what if he tried exercising again. >> i mean, i'll give it a shot. find out that you're going to be a lot happier in life. >> reporter: that was the start of his comeback. this weekend he gave his all in the military's wounded warrior games, celebrating those hurt defending america. mike has won gold and silver medals for track. and competes in wheelchair basketball. and maybe most amazing of all, swimming. >> i love swimming, and i found out once i got in the water i still could swim pretty well. >> reporter: also at the games, mike celebra

. >> reporter: every day is a journey for mike nicholson.ng from point a to point b is a feat for any triple amputee. but the retid makes a splash every time he pushes the body shattered by an i.e. d. in afghanistan in 2011. nicholson is competing at this year's warrior games, organized by the defense department, including teams from the uk and australia. >> much more than fun and games to you. what do they mean to you? >> they mean a lot. and you have that thought in the back of your head about just making your family proud, making your country proud, making your service proud. >> reporter: after two years recovering at walter reid army medical center, darkness settled in, he says, with depression and drinking. >> it was hard at first. it really was. stayed inside a lot. wouldn't really come outside when the sun was up and hanging out in the bars too much. luckily i met my wife. >> reporter: he credits wife katie, whom he met at a mutual friend's birthday party, daughter calorie and newborn son sawyer for helping him find happiness again. >

. >> reporter: for marine sergeant mike nicholson, summer is one of the toughest times of the year. >e time we were deployed over in afghanistan. we lost a guy, and a lot of guys got hit. >> reporter: including mike. >> i got hit by a 40 pound ied in afghanistan. it took both legs and my left arm. >> reporter: his new body brought a lot of anger and depression. miej sa mike says he started drinking. but then katie came into his life. a friend set them up. they eventually married and started a family, and she had a challenge for him. what if he tried exercising again? >> i mean i'll give it a shot. you find out that you're going to be a lot happier in life. >> reporter: that was the start of his comeback, and this weekend he gave his all in the military's wounded warrior games, celebrating those hurt defending america. mike has won gold and silver medals for track and competes in wheelchair basketball. and maybe most amazing of all, swimming. >> i love swimming, and i found out once i got in the water, i still could swim pretty well. >> reporter: also at the games, mike celebrated his

. >> reporter: for mike nicholson, summer is one of the toughest times of the year. >> summertime iss the time we were deployed in afghanistan, we lost a guy and a guy got hit. >> reporter: including mike. his new body and the life that came with it brought a lot of anger and depression. mike says he started drinking. >> the days haven't been the easiest ones. >> reporter: but then katie came into his life. a friend set them up. they eventually married and started a family. and she had a challenge for him, what if he tried exercising again. that was the start of his comeback. and this weekend he gave his all in the military's wounded warrior games, celebrating those hurt defending america. mike has won gold and silver medals for track and competes in wheelchair basketball. and maybe most amazing of all, swimming. >> i love swimming. and i found out once i got in the water, i still could swim pretty well. >> reporter: also at the games, mike celebrated his alive day. the day he was wounded. that was filled with competition and reflection. >> feelings you are having on a tough day, get