Wednesday's Warriors: Tom Hulsey

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NORTH TEXAS (CBS11) - Tom Hulsey's Wednesday's Warrior story was 30 years in the making.

In 1986, Hulsey competed at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.  But it's the race his good friend Bill Rollings lost in 2013, that stopped Hulsey in his tracks.

"It was devastating to lose one of my best friends, and witness what he'd gone through," said Hulsey.

Hulsey watched his good friend die of prostate cancer, a disease that takes a man's life every 19 minutes.

A few months after Rollings died, on Hulsey's birthday in February 2015, Husley found out he had prostate cancer.

He underwent robotic surgery, seven incisions and got a heavy dose of humility.

"When I came out, I was getting around in a walker, and wearing two catheters," said Hulsey.

As he recovered, he set two goals to light his fire for recovery.

"My long term goal was to do Ironman Lake Placid which was July of this year, but my other goal in July, was to be able to walk my daughter down the aisle," said Hulsey.

After a year-long fight, Hulsey finished the Ironman, but more importantly, took that walk with his daughter.

Then came the surprise of a lifetime: an invitation back to the Ironman World Championship, this time representing Zero, a charity that raises money to fight prostate cancer.

He finished the race again!

For more on Husley's effort to raise money for Zero, click here.

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