The second-season premiere of "American Gladiators" will feature Pittsburgh area native John Siciliano. The Paralympic and former college athlete will test his physical and mental strength on the show that airs Monday, May 12.

John, 37, grew up in Springdale and attended Point Park University. He majored in Journalism and Theater at Point Park and was also the captain of the soccer team.

It was during his college days that a car accident changed his life.

"I knew I had to lifeguard at Boyce Park at 11 a.m., and it was late, but I really wanted to grab a bite to eat at Eat'n Park with my friends, so I hopped in the car with them and went."

John was a passenger in a Jeep that never made it to Eat'n Park on June 13, 1993. He remembers calling "shotgun." The rest of the night is a blur. The Jeep was struck by a drunken driver.

John awoke in the hospital with a tracheotomy tube in his throat. He couldn't speak, but he recalls writing notes that said, "I can't feel my legs." Three days after the accident, his family and doctors stood before him in his hospital room and told him his right leg had to be amputated from the knee down. John said he told his emotional family, "Don't worry. I'll never give up." And, he didn't.

Phil Conley from Hanger Orthopedics made John's legs. After receiving the legs and prosthetic company Endolite making what he calls a "fancy foot," John had the desire to be an athlete again. After rehabilitation, John asked Endolite to have the man on the company's brochure, Todd Schaffhausser, call him. Todd, a Paralympic sprinter, called John and invited him to a track in Long Island where he demonstrated his running abilities.

John said, "Todd inspired me to compete in the Paralympics." John also thought it would be really cool if someday he could be on the cover of the Endolite brochure like Todd.

John trained vigorously as a sprinter, like Todd whom was his role model. John ran in clinics and was later invited to the 1996 Paralympic Trials in Atlanta, Ga. where he competed against Todd. He broke the 200-meter record in the trials and beat his role model.

Unfortunately during the finals in Atlanta, which he had hoped to win, John's prosthetic leg dislodged, and he crashed on the track. That didn't stop him from finishing the race. With his prosthetic leg in his hand, John stood up and hobbled to the finish line.

Off the competitive track, John continues to inspire. He recently taught a soldier, who lost his leg in Iraq, how to run with a prosthetic leg. The soldier was later invited to run with President George W. Bush. "I was really happy for him," John said.

John currently lives in Los Angeles, Calif., where believe it or not, he works for Endolite and appears on more than just the cover of the company's brochures.

John is also the spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, a group that provides grants to athletes with physical disabilities.

John, who went to the University of Southern California to get his master's in Theater, is also pursuing an acting career. He has appeared on several television shows.

John told me the television show he's appearing in on Monday, "American Gladiators," is one of the most challenging things he has ever done. The episode was taped about two weeks ago. While he couldn't tell me whether he had to joust or climb, he said he had to learn how to do everything before the show. That was difficult for him. And, going up against 6 foot 9, 300 pound athletes on the show was even more difficult.

"Sometimes you don't know what you're made of until you go deep. I had to dig the deepest I've ever digged on the show," said John.

While the show was extremely physically and mentally demanding, John said it was a special experience. Hulk Hogan gave him a pep talk before the show. "That was pretty cool," he said.

John calls the overall experience on "American Gladiators" rewarding.

Just this year, John received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Point Park University. He was also recently inducted into the Springdale High School Hall of Fame.

From receiving awards to appearing on television shows, John is quite an impressive man.

"The dreams you have when you're a child - you can accomplish them even if you're paraplegic or have another disability," John said.