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S20: Noah Galloway: Army Strong

radishcake

By radishcake
in Dancing With The Stars

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radishcake

radishcake

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Sergeant Noah Galloway was assigned to the 1st of the 502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Just three months into his second tour of duty, he experienced a life changing injury. On December 19, 2005, Galloway lost his left arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee in an Improvised Explosive Device attack.Now a personal trainer and motivational speaker he will be partnered up with Sharna this season! 

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blackwing

blackwing

OK, I'm just going to say it.  Yes, the guy gets points for serving his country and persevering through an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  But honestly, this guy has zero business being on the show.  In the first place, he is really an F list "star"... he got lucky to be chosen for the Men's Health cover because of the sympathy factor, and I guess now it makes him a "star"?  Secondly, are they going to give him a pass for only having one arm?

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spanana

spanana

How does he have any less place on the show than Bristol Palin, Sadie and any other number of people that were known for mostly well, nothing.  Bristol was basically on the show for being Sarah's daughter and getting knocked up as a teenager.  I like Sadie, but isn't she barely a part of her family's reality show?  So let's not pretend like the level of celeb has suddenly been lowered.

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kitcloudkicker

kitcloudkicker

(edited)

Okay, I'm just going to say it, I get real uncomfortable about how Amy and now Noah seem to get treated by certain fans of this show. No they shouldn't be pandered to, but they shouldn't be dismissed either - and being able to execute a dance is more than being able to roll through the ball of your foot or hold your arm in a frame. And Noah's been on the cover of Men's Health and seems to be gaining traction as a motivational speaker - that's plenty a resume to "deserve" to be on this show.

Edited by kitcloudkicker
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DkNNy79

DkNNy79

Well was JR Martinez (who won with Karina) famous before doing DWTS?  If not, a precedent has already been set.  Also, I would rather see him then Sadie or Bristol.

 

I am not familiar with Noah at all, but if he has ANY dance ability at all, I think he's going to be a favorite to win.

 

No, these contestants shouldn't be pandered too, but they will be.  Case in point Amy Purdy.   Not to say she wasn't a good dancer, but the judges were hardly ever critical of her at all.

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Mbeaker

Mbeaker

Well was JR Martinez (who won with Karina) famous before doing DWTS? If not, a precedent has already been set. Also, I would rather see him then Sadie or Bristol.

JR was on daytime soap opera "All My Children".

Motivational speaking doesn't qualify anyone as any kind of star, in my world, but Noah isn't the first non-star we've had on the show (Hello Bristol). Still, I'd rather cheer for him than someone like Chris, whose inclusion to the show is almost as dubious.

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radishcake

radishcake

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Let's start as we mean to go on this season and that means we will have zero discussions implying that PEOPLE with prosthetics are on the show because of pity or they aren't being judged correctly because the judges feel sorry for them etc... It's offensive and it will not be tolerated this season. Please consider this your only warning on the subject.

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smiley13

smiley13

I am looking forward to seeing Noah dance, but really wish that he was with another partner.  I just do not care for Sharna.  Too bad Karina is not appearing this season.  They would have been very interesting to see.

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Catgyrl

Catgyrl

I'm really enjoying watching these two! I love Sharna to bits, and he's just a hunka-hunka man! Hard worker, great sense of humor, and a great pair with Sharna. I missed part of yesterday's rehearsal, but I know they were showing some of the lifts they've practiced. This guy is a BEAST!

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ShaNaeNae

ShaNaeNae

The guy is fucking HOT. He's my type, charming, good looking, courageous. Great role model for his boys. I was a little worried after seeing his fall in rehearsals, but I hope he does as good the rest of the season as he did last night.  And I adore Sharna, so one of my favorite pairings this season.

 

Did anyone notice a fluffy, kind of frumpy red headed lady in this group with his boys? I was wondering if that was his girlfriend, then they said his girlfriend was in the audience. It just seemed like an odd pairing. But upon Googling, I found this is his girlfriend. Did I imagine her, or was someone about his age there? Maybe a sister or something. 

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Wings

Wings

(edited)

The guy is fucking HOT. He's my type, charming, good looking, courageous. Great role model for his boys. I was a little worried after seeing his fall in rehearsals, but I hope he does as good the rest of the season as he did last night.  And I adore Sharna, so one of my favorite pairings this season.

 

Did anyone notice a fluffy, kind of frumpy red headed lady in this group with his boys? I was wondering if that was his girlfriend, then they said his girlfriend was in the audience. It just seemed like an odd pairing. But upon Googling, I found this is his girlfriend. Did I imagine her, or was someone about his age there? Maybe a sister or something. 

 

 

I googled his girlfriend, too, after seeing the redhead!  I think he mentioned his niece was there too.  Goggle that with no luck.  I thought maybe his new girlfriend was too new to be around his kids.  Probably an agreement he has with their mother.  It happens.  No rotating girlfriends.  Kids meet a new love after you are established for over a year.  Pretty common.  

 

ETA- He and his girlfriend have been together for awhile it appears from his FB  Page.  I think the red head was his sister.  Check out his FB page. 

Edited by wings707
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CED9

CED9

I googled his girlfriend, too, after seeing the redhead!  I think he mentioned his niece was there too.  Goggle that with no luck.  I thought maybe his new girlfriend was too new to be around his kids.  Probably an agreement he has with their mother.  It happens.  No rotating girlfriends.  Kids meet a new love after you are established for over a year.  Pretty common.  

His kids are with 2 different women. His oldest with his first wife, and the other 2 with his 2nd wife. They mentioned in their first livestream that his girlfriend wouldn't be there until at least Week 3 of the competition because she's in basic training, and that his kids wouldn't be there every week because of school. I'm guessing the redhead was one of his sisters because apparently he has 4, and is the only boy in his family. He instagrammed a pic with one of his sisters a couple days ago, and she was a redhead too, so I'm guessing it was a sister or nanny.

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Wings

Wings

His kids are with 2 different women. His oldest with his first wife, and the other 2 with his 2nd wife. They mentioned in their first livestream that his girlfriend wouldn't be there until at least Week 3 of the competition because she's in basic training, and that his kids wouldn't be there every week because of school. I'm guessing the redhead was one of his sisters because apparently he has 4, and is the only boy in his family. He instagrammed a pic with one of his sisters a couple days ago, and she was a redhead too, so I'm guessing it was a sister or nanny.

 

 

Thanks.  

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legaleagle53

legaleagle53

(edited)

I like him.  He reminds me of Cassidy, the disabled war veteran who won The People's Strictly in the UK a couple of weeks ago.  Like Cassidy, Noah is a hard worker, he has a positive attitude and an extremely likable personality, and he is actually downplaying the fact that his body is less than complete.  He's also got an excellent, popular partner in Sharna, who is playing up to his strengths brilliantly, in my opinion. 

 

The only dances that worry me are the Jive and possibly the Rumba.  If his Ballroom dances and especially his Paso Doble are anywhere near the caliber that Cassidy's Paso Doble was, he's a lock for the finals.

Edited by legaleagle53
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CED9

CED9

He has Argentine Tango next, so I could see him having a huge breakthrough while in hold with Sharna. Depending on how well they're able to work with his new prosthetic, obviously. People forget it's as much a learning curve for her as it is for him.

I was actually hoping for Rumba, legaleagle53. His hips and his connection with Sharna are two of his biggest strengths.

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kitcloudkicker

kitcloudkicker

The only dances that worry me are the Jive and possibly the Rumba.  If his Ballroom dances and especially his Paso Doble is anywhere near the caliber that Cassidy's Paso Doble was, he's a lock for the finals.

 

I read an article that stated he won't be doing the jive or the quickstep. (Wait, found it, it's this one) 

Galloway's strength and agility are huge assets to #TeamShalloway (recently shortened to #TeamShway), said partner Sharna Burgess. However, he'll be staying away from two specific dances on the show: the jive and quickstep. Repeating the syncopated, bouncing movements on a prosthetic leg would be too painful for Galloway in the long run, Burgess said.

 

I don't mind this, but I'm sure it will open up accusations of "fairness" for others. 

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legaleagle53

legaleagle53

Jive would be impossible for him to do on a prosthetic leg with only one arm because of balance and flexibility issues.  He'd never be able to pull off the required kicks and flicks without falling on his ass, so I'm glad he's been excused from that one.  Quickstep does surprise me, though, because if he uses a running blade rather than his walking foot, it shouldn't be an issue for him.

 

And "fairness" requires a realistic assessment of what he can't do, as well as an assessment of what he can do.  So I don't have a problem with his not being required to do anything that he simply can't do physically.

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CED9

CED9

Quickstep does surprise me, though, because if he uses a running blade rather than his walking foot, it shouldn't be an issue for him.

They mentioned on their live stream that his knee wouldn't be able to control it correctly.

They were saying that the computer in his knee gets confused and goes into sensory overload and just gives out on him if he has to do too many different steps too fast in a row. Which is what Quickstep requires.

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methodwriter85

methodwriter85

(edited)

I mean, I don't want to be mean towards someone who's a veteran and an amputee, but dude is TOTALLY delusional if he thinks he's actually doing this well.

 

I really hope this is the week.

Edited by methodwriter85
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Rancide

Rancide

(edited)

I mean, I don't want to be mean towards someone who's a veteran and an amputee, but dude is TOTALLY delusional if he thinks he's actually doing this well.

 

But he is doing really well.  The judges have invented an entirely new scoring system for his benefit, and he's killing it!

 

I'm all for including a variety of differently abled people on this show.  I'm pretty sure Patti wasn't going to be busting out the samba rolls at any point either, even with intact arms and legs.  Being an amputee is far from the only physical limitation we've seen contestants have on this show, and many, many contestants in the past have demonstrated that you don't have to be an amputee to find certain movements difficult or impossible.  

 

My objection to the scoring of Noah is that his limitations seem to be being treated differently from other people's.  Generally, when your limitations--whatever their source--lead you not to be able to perform the elements of the dance as well as the other contestants, you get lower scores than they do.  The rule for Noah seems to be that when his limitations interfere with his ability to perform the dance, the judges just make up some other criteria on which to judge him.  That strikes me as super condescending.

 

Even with his limitations, Noah was legitimately a better dancer than a number of the now-departed.  So, great.  He deserved to score higher than those people.  However, those people are long gone.  And it's time for Noah to be gone, too.

Edited by Rancide
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RedheadZombie

RedheadZombie

They mentioned on their live stream that his knee wouldn't be able to control it correctly.

They were saying that the computer in his knee gets confused and goes into sensory overload and just gives out on him if he has to do too many different steps too fast in a row. Which is what Quickstep requires.

 

He addressed it in one of his packages.  The prosthesis allows him to bend the knee enough to walk, but if he were to lean into the bent knee, it would buckle and he would fall.

 

I found Sharna's reaction after Noah blurted out "Emma!" hilarious because it's obvious she would've chosen Peta. I find Noah creepy and controlling, just like in their little fight when he kept saying Sharna looked bad. I don't think he knows what a jerk he is.

 

I interpreted that scene differently.  I think he was angry that they chose to show a disagreement, when they usually get along very well.  And he didn't say Sharna did anything wrong, he was worried that they portrayed her in a negative light.  He has very protective fans, and I'm sure he wouldn't want them lashing out at Sharna, if they thought she was being too hard on him.

 

Noah is definitely not one of those people who is hit by tragedy and thinks, "I don't want your pity."

 

I don't see this - at all.  I don't think he's self-pitying or asking to be treated with kid gloves.   These same criticisms were made of Amy - she's too whiny, she talks about it too much, etc.  

 

My only criticism of Noah is the way he treated his bionic arm.  Not only did it cost upwards of a hundred thousand dollars (I'm guessing), it was probably a gift from a charity.  I found just throwing it down, even though it was in frustration, disrespectful. 

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Mittengirl

Mittengirl

(edited)

I doubt his arm was a gift from a charity. You don't just go buy one of those off the rack. My guess is Noah has tried them in the past and they didn't work for him but was talked in to trying one again. It looked like they just wanted Sharna to have a hand to hold.

As far as cost goes, above the elbow prosthetics run from about $5000 for a body-powered unit to about $60,000 for a pretty tricked out myoelectric version. Super fancy would set you back about $100,000, but you would not buy one of those without being damn sure it met all of your needs and desires.

There is good reason most arm amputees don't wear prosthetics. The numbers vary, but around 70% opt not to wear one. They are uncomfortable, unwieldy and not very functional. I stopped wearing mine in 4th grade and even before that I only wore it to school. I whipped that sucker off as soon as I got home. I haven't missed having one in the last 30 years. Prosthetists still try to talk me into trying one but they have yet to give a functional reason why it would help me. I could not care less about making other people comfortable by making my disability less noticeable to them.

Edited by Mittengirl
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smiley13

smiley13

I loved that Noah said he did not want to wear a military style costume, that if he wore a uniform, it would need to be a regulation military uniform.  Go Noah!

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Rancide

Rancide

I wouldn't prefer the look of a functional arm prosthesis because it would make me more comfortable by making Noah's disability less obvious to me.  (And I do understand that for people walking around in the real world that is a thing that happens, and I'm not trying to make light of that phenomenon.)  I would prefer the look of an arm prosthesis--assuming it could be made to work--because it would increase the number of relevant dance elements that Noah and his partner could successfully perform.  Noah is already not doing basically most of the leg-down elements of most of the dances, a fact which Len actually acknowledged this week.  And not having something correctly positioned for Sharna to hold onto prevents Sharna from doing many of the waist-up elements of the dance, as well.

 

I'm not a prosthesis user, so I obviously can't comment on the degree of annoying or cumbersome that a prosthetic arm would be.  And I accept the possibility that it might be so annoying or non-functional as to make it worse than nothing at all, in which case not wearing one for the show is obviously the right decision.  But my biggest obstacle to enjoying Noah's dancing is that he really isn't doing most of the elements of most of the dances.  Not having an arm or anything that is substituting for an arm unfortunately contributes to that, which isn't his fault.  But then, most of the things on this show that make me not enjoy various people's dancing is also not their fault (lack of rhythm, poor coordination, advanced age, etc.).

 

I'm looking forward to the freestyle.  At least it doesn't have elements for Noah to not do.  Maybe I'll resent his high scores less if there are no standard for the judges to flagrantly disregard in order to give him 10s.

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Mittengirl

Mittengirl

If I recall correctly, the arm Noah was going to use was new, so that would complicate the situation more than having an arm he was used to. As you probably can imagine, they take a while to get used to, just like any new technology.

The two biggest stumbling blocks would probably be keeping the arm on correctly and the lack of feeling in the hand. I think Noah mentioned that the arm kept slipping off. Obviously Sharna spinning off holding his arm, but not him, would be problematic. I think his was held on with a figure-8 type of harness, which means there has to be tension that keeps it in place. Picture one loop going under his "good arm", across his upper shoulders and the other end attaching to the prosthetic. It has to be tight enough to keep the arm in place. As you might imagine, that can be uncomfortable.

Not having any feeling in his hand means that he would not be able to feel Sharna holding or letting go of it. They also require thought to open and close. Most people don't have to stop and think, "open my hand".

I am not sure, but I think he would also have to make a conscious effort to keep his elbow bent and then to straighten it. Yet another thing to think about.

A basic arm that would just exist for Sharna to hold would probably look worse when she isn't holding it than the lack of some thing to hold. It would probably be either stiff or floppy. Either way, it would not, IMO, add to the look of the dance.

Perhaps someone who was born without a hand, but unlike me has always worn a prosthetic, would be able to get enough use out of an arm to enhance a dance. But for someone like Noah, who ten years ago had two hands, and hasn't worn a prosthetic arm much, it is going to be a gigantic obstacle on top of everything else. And that isn't even considering Sharna having to figure out what the prosthetic can and can't do.

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CED9

CED9

(edited)

When they were using it in their AT practice initially, Noah mentioned that there is usually a computer in the elbow (similar to the one in his knee) but they decided to take the computer out so Noah would work the hand and Sharna would have to work the rest of the arm. It wasn't so much working it as it was when she would let go it would just stay in the same position and make it harder to transition. Also, it seems that Noah sweats a lot and the socket was slipping off his residual limb and sliding the sensors that were working the hand out of place which would make things worse.

Seemed like their plan was for Sharna to put Noah's arm in position and have his prosthetist "freeze" it in place by remote control through the dance, but they were both thinking about it too much that it took away from everything else.

Edited by CED9
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Fliz

Fliz

According to the People Magazine article about Noah in last week's issue, he has been married twice. He has a son with his first wife and another son and a daughter with his second wife. (Sorry, I don't have the link handy.)

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smiley13

smiley13

According to the People Magazine article about Noah in last week's issue, he has been married twice. He has a son with his first wife and another son and a daughter with his second wife. (Sorry, I don't have the link handy.)

With all that he has been through, it is not surprising to me.  I have not read any particulars about his private life and do not need to.  A military life is not an easy one, especially with injuries like Noah had.

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Palomar

Palomar

(edited)

 

If Noah had been scored correctly, this wouldn't have happened. There's no way he should have received scores anywhere close to the scores he did, and he never should have received 10's.

 

I put this travesty squarely on the judges for consistantly overscoring Noah...they did not have the balls to score him fairly.  And the judge-inspired round was a farce (even though I did enjoy the dances)....you KNEW each dance would get perfect scores....the judges were not going to vote anything less against each other. Sure Noah is an inspiration for being on the show and doing as well as he can, but who wouldn't rather see Nastia doing a free style than another Noah dance that the judges will of course fawn over no matter what.

 

On the other hand, there is Noah, who I will support even though he is with trashy Sharna.  At least he seems like a nice guy and he has done something for our country, which is America by the way, not any of the other odd ways I have seen people attempt to say it.

 

 

I see this show as a dance competition to reward dancing results, not for voting for the most likeable or patriotic person.  I admit I don't vote, but if I did, I would vote for the best dancer, not if I like their pro or not.

Edited by Palomar
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TudorQueen

TudorQueen

I have come to truly like and admire Noah over the course of the season, plus he is a seriously attractive man. I have respect for the work ethic he's brought to the competition, and he certainly has developed as a dancer - to a point.

 

But - and this may make me look cold - I don't think he should be in the final, and I will be very disappointed if he wins. Yes, the audience vote is important  - among other things, it keeps the show from being a PBS Ballroom Competition broadcast, it gives the viewers a stake, and it keeps some celebs who start out without the skills a chance to stick around and improve - to a point.

 

But I think he has reached the limit of what he can do, and to have him in the finals over Nastia makes the actual dancing look even less important. Why vote for one of the best dancers when you can vote for the double amputee busting his butt out there?  His paso doble had some nice elements and he had a killer attack. He relates well to Sharna and is very present in everything he does.

 

But he doesn't dance as well as the others. He can't. Placing high in the end is appropriate because of all he has put into it, but to have him in the finals just adds to my sense that it is barely about the dancing anymore.

 

I wish him nothing but luck, though.

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mbutterfly

mbutterfly

According to the People Magazine article about Noah in last week's issue, he has been married twice. He has a son with his first wife and another son and a daughter with his second wife. (Sorry, I don't have the link handy.)

I read that too, can't find it now. It appears his first wife left him while he was recovering and in the hospital. 

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smiley13

smiley13

I read that too, can't find it now. It appears his first wife left him while he was recovering and in the hospital. 

Wow, that is so sad to me.  It makes me pull even harder for Noah to win.  I am glad that he made it through to the finals.

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Wings

Wings

Wow, that is so sad to me.  It makes me pull even harder for Noah to win.  I am glad that he made it through to the finals.

 

If this is true there is more to the story; there always is.  

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sinkwriter

sinkwriter

 

Wow, that is so sad to me.  It makes me pull even harder for Noah to win.  I am glad that he made it through to the finals.

 

If she left him because she couldn't handle his injuries, that is very sad and heartbreaking for him.

 

However... it still doesn't make him a dancer. He doesn't belong in the finals, especially not out of people feeling sorry for him. Winning a dancing competition when he doesn't dance isn't the way to honor his sacrifices or the challenging life he may have had.

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Wings

Wings

There is more to the story.

 

 

After a long stint in recovery and rehabilitation, Galloway did what many disabled veterans do, becoming withdrawn, out of shape and depressed. The former fitness fanatic and hyper competitive athlete was now drinking, smoking and sleeping his days away. But late one night, Galloway took a long look in the mirror and realized there was more to him than the injuries. And he set a goal to get back in shape, be healthier and inspire

others.

 

http://noahgalloway.com/about-noah/

 

I can easily see a marriage falling apart under these circumstances.  The link does not offer more than this clue as to the possible reason his wife could no longer cope.  

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Wings

Wings

Why? Because you know her? He obviously has to be at fault?

 

Of course not and I did not imply that he was at fault.   When marriages fail it is usually more complicated than one person being at fault.  

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