On Friday, with the grace of a bird, he landed in the First Baptist Church parking lot on his two prosthetic legs.

``I sky-dived in here to show you all it's not the disability, it's the ability,'' Bowman told the crowd that included Baptist Health Care employees and preschool children.

The landing was followed by a motivational speech for Baptist employees. Bowman shared the story of his accident, recovery and accomplishments.

``It was all taken away from me in a split second,'' said Bowman, a retired army sergeant. ``I lived to tell the story. My teammate, my mentor, was gone.''

Bowman overcame his adverse circumstances, learned to walk with new legs and got back into the game of life.

``We can be spectators, or we can be participants,'' said Bowman, who grew tired of watching his teammates jumping and practicing without him.

Nine months following his accident, Bowman re-enlisted in the Army and began to jump again. He also fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot, and he participates in many other sports including water-skiing and scuba diving.

``This is only the beginning,'' Bowman said. ``It's only going to get better. I was able to come back as a shining star ... a true example of the human spirit.''

For Judy Merritt, a member of Baptist's Amputee Support Group, Bowman's story is an inspiration.

``It filled my heart to see what he can do,'' Merritt said.

Others in the crowd were fascinated by Bowman's story, which at times led the crowd to tears, gasps and laughter.

``His story is captivating,'' said May Felkey, an employee with Baptist. ``I hope we can take his motivation and instill it in our patients.''

``We can be spectators, or we can be participants.''

- Dana Bowman