Interview with Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Derrick Pinckney

About Derrick, "For me, fitness is not just about hitting the gym; it is also about an inner happiness and an overall well-being." ~ Rakul Preet Singh ~ ​In high school, I wasn't physically active. I remember being in the gym, forcing and trying to motivate myself to be more active. The motivation was just not there at the time. As I got older, I constantly worked harder to be physically active and motivated myself to be more proactive. It was hard for me to understand why the passion for being physically active was not there during my youth. I was raised around people that were physically active. My mother was a nurse in the military during the Vietnam War. She stressed the importance of healthy living and exercise. My uncle, Jackson "Rock" Pinckney, who was my biggest role model, was extremely physically active. He was a U.S. Army Veteran (Ret), medically retired law enforcement officer, fitness trainer and national bodybuilding champion, author and actor. My uncle also won several bodybuilding competitions and held the title of Mr. Fayetteville through the National Physique Committee, and the NPC Middle and Light Heavy Division Championship I attribute my passion for physical fitness to him. Before his death, he was helping me reach and achieve my fitness goals. After my oldest daughter was born, I made the decision to join the United States Army. I worked in combat. Being a soldier in the U.S. Army somewhat forced me to become more active because there really wasn't anything else to keep me entertained. It also helped me cope with the stressors of life. In 2005, I became a little more serious about physical fitness and strength training. I started trying different strength and conditioning techniques to help improve my overall strength, power, and endurance. During this time, I was stationed in Iraq. While completing an 18 month tour in Iraq I was seriously injured during a suicide bomber attack. The injuries I sustained left me physically and mentally scarred. I was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain I