Nation's First One-Armed Officer Graduates From Police Academy

Jerod Bradford of Cowan, Tenn., is both an inspiration and a role model as the first upper-limb amputee in the country to graduate from a policy academy.

"I just want to do my job, I want to give back to the community and I want to help," Bradford said in an interview with WTVF-TV after surviving the 10-week training.

Bradford lost part of his left arm and a finger on his right hand after a near death electrocution 10 years ago.

Bradford demonstrated ingenuity to pass the physical requirements of the police exam. As the officer told the TV station, he attached a crutch tip filled with epoxy and bolted it onto his prosthetic so he could do pushups and not slide.

"You can succeed in anything, all you have to do is try, don't let anybody tell you otherwise," he told WTVF.

AOL Jobs has profiled many people over the years who have overcome adverse circumstances. For instance, inner-city kid Farrah Gray became a millionaire by age 14 selling rocks and said his poverty was a great motivator.

Another recent profile depicted a Frito-Lay executive with a Ph.D. in "poor, hungry and determined," who advanced from janitor to the executive suite on the power of a big idea.