On July 22, 2010 Marine Combat Engineer Rob Jones stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan. The injuries he sustained required two above-the-knee amputations that led to 18 months of grueling rehabilitation and recovery. Rob reluctantly, though voluntarily, retired from the Marine Corps, but he never stopped being a Devil Dog.

“Once a Marine, Always a Marine,” Rob says. “This means that I can and will never cede those responsibilities until my last breath escapes my lungs.”

He hasn’t quit since.

In 2012, Rob trained and medaled at the Paralympic Games in Rowing. He rode his bicycle 5,181 miles from Bar Harbor, Main to Camp Pendleton, California. He recently completed 31 marathons in 31 consecutive days and in 31 distinct cities.

Why?

For Rob, it’s never been about the medals or the titles. It’s about will power.It’s about relentlessly fighting his battle at home and encouraging other veterans to do the same: To never give up, to never give in; to be an inspiration of character to others.

This fall, Rob Jones completed his latest challenge alongside TMF Spartans across the nation. Rob ran nine 9/11 Heroes Runs in 9 different cities from September 1st through October 7th from Tempe, AZ, to New York City.

The Rob Jones Challenge would not have been possible without generous support from Comcast NBCUniversal, which is dedicated to providing the military community with opportunities to thrive through focusing on their strengths and passions, career advancement, and service to the community.