Photo by @marioromero186 Becoming an elite commando wasn?t an especially realistic goal for Mario Romero (@marioromero186). The New Jersey native had 20/400 vision, an arrhythmia of the heart and weighed 135 pounds (61 kilograms) ? but he was undaunted. ?I refused to give up,? he recalls. ?I trained even harder.? Ultimately, the then small-but-determined recruit survived the grueling training it takes to become a US Navy SEAL, then served three deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. After nine years in the military, the now 34-year-old embarked on a new pursuit: a mathematics degree at Columbia University in New York City. Now, he has a new goal of one day working at NASA. ?It all started with books,? he says, remembering the historical images of World War II that inspired him to enlist. ?If I could contribute towards a greater good, I was going to.? Watch our story to see more of Mario?s life, then and now, in honor of #VeteransDay in the United States. This holiday is observed on November 11.