'More capable than you think': Triangle men nationally honored for resilience

Josh Perry, 28, of Apex, and Logan Aldridge, 26, of Raleigh are among 10 finalists for a nationwide contest hosted by Men's Health Magazine.

Aldridge, who specializes in CrossFit, lost his left arm in a wakeboarding accident when he was 13. He currently holds the Guinness World Record for doing the most one-arm push-ups in a minute.

"It just so happened that a lot of my passions and previous experiences are things that require two arms," he said.

A theory he proved wrong.

"I proved to myself that you're actually a lot more capable than you think you are, or what society or your surroundings may deem you capable of," he said.

Perry, a professional BMX rider, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010.

"That was leading me to go blind. It was pushing on my optic nerve and it was giving me severe headaches," he said.

He had surgery and treatment, but two new tumors emerged in March.

"When you fall down you get up, you try again," Perry said. "I can get past it if I want to, and that's exactly what I want to represent."

"If you try hard, work hard, you can actually be recognized the same way any other athlete or individual is," Aldridge said.

Perry and Aldridge did not make it into the top three, which means they won't make the cover, but they will still be in the magazine. They say it’s a great platform to share their stories about overcoming obstacles and hopefully inspire others.