BALTIMORE — On a milestone day marking two decades since he survived a devastating IED explosion in Iraq, retired Army officer Ryan Kules made history by shattering three Guinness World Records in indoor rowing.
Family, friends, veterans, and supporters packed the Baltimore Ravens locker room, taking turns rowing beside him as he powered through 50,000 meters over five grueling hours.
The goal wasn’t just to break records. For Kules, this day was about honoring his brothers, Sergeant Hasse and Sergeant Mills, who were killed on November 29, 2005 in the same blast that took Kules’ arm and leg.
“That was by far the worst day of my life,” Kules said. “We drove over a very big improvised explosive device… that cut my arm and leg off and took the lives of two of my guys.”
He said their memory has pushed him for the last 20 years, guiding everything from his recovery to his work today.
Supporters began arriving early Monday morning. Including veterans who healed alongside Kules at Walter Reed, teammates from the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), and friends who have watched his journey from recovery to resilience.
Dozens of people hopped onto rowing machines beside him throughout the attempt, some for a few minutes, some for much longer, creating a steady rotation of encouragement and camaraderie.
Among them was Neil Duncan , who was also severely wounded in Afghanistan and has known Kules for two decades.
“We were all in the hospital together,” Duncan said. “It was competitive… it drives rehab and recovery. It was really special.”
Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric traveled from New York to certify the attempt. Three new adaptive record categories were created to ensure amputee athletes like Kules could compete with equitable standards.
“These titles were based on able-bodied categories,” Empric explained. “We’ve worked intentionally to be more inclusive… whether it’s an arm, a leg, or both. But the minimums are not easy to beat.”
Kules not only met those standards, he exceeded them, securing world records for:
- Longest distance rowed in one hour (upper-limb and lower-limb amputee)
- Fastest marathon distance on a rowing machine (adaptive category)
- Fastest ultramarathon distance (adaptive category)
Empric said Kules started fast, recalibrated his pace, and “plowed through the marathon and ultramarathon distance.”
For Kules, the accomplishment reflects not just physical endurance but a long emotional and psychological journey since 2005.
“It wasn’t an easy journey,” he said. “There were ups and downs, some really high moments and really low times.”
The final minutes of the record row brought relief and pride.
“It was done, and I was able to do what I wanted to do,” he said. “All the training and work turned into that.”
After years of training, often rowing four to five times a week, Kules plans to take a short break. But he hinted that this may not be the end of his athletic pursuits.
“We have some mountains to climb… probably another thing to get training for,” he said.
And after a day of world records, brotherhood, and remembrance, he says the mission remains the same: honoring the past, inspiring the present, and pushing the limits of what’s possible.