Blind Iraq vet finishes Ironman Triathlon

Army Maj. Scott Smiley was a platoon leader in northern Iraq in the spring of 2005 when a roadside bomb left him badly wounded and totally blind.

CBS News correspondent Carter Evans reports that Smiley's injuries left him angry and depressed.

"How was I going to take care of my wife, the woman that I love, if I couldn't even take care of myself?" Smiley said.

His wife Tiffany said the choice was clear.

"I could let my mind go in a way and say we're ruined and we're not going to be able to do anything," she said. "Or I could go the other way and be his biggest cheerleader. And I sort of took that on, even if I didn't believe it myself."

They would soon both believe.

After extensive rehab, Smiley became the first blind, active-duty officer in the Army. He earned an MBA from Duke University, is now the father of three children, and began to take on challenges, including climbing Mount Rainier and surfing.

But that's nothing compared to the ultimate sport of endurance: the Ironman Triathlon.

"For me, it may not be for any other purpose than I'm able to do something in which many others didn't think I could," Smiley said.

Smiley began the challenge just after dawn Sunday morning: a grueling 2 ½-mile swim, with Smiley's brother-in-law acting as his guide.

Next was a 100-mile bike ride in 100 degree heat, followed by a full marathon: 26 miles.

"It doesn't matter what has happened to you," Smiley said. "Once you set your mind to it, you can accomplish any goals."

He finished the Ironman close to dark, Sunday evening. But as Evans reports, it's not about how long it took, rather how far he's come.