LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Kaine Marzola remembers the moment he knew he wanted to become a Marine. He was a senior at Las Vegas High School when a teacher showed video of 9/11, and he says in that moment, he knew he would serve his country.
Marzola ended up joining the most decorated unit in Marine Corps history. In his eight and a half years of active duty, he went on multiple deployments to various areas. His first deployment took him to Iraq, where combat was a constant and he lost many of his friends. He said in that first deployment, he went on more than one thousand missions, lost 17 of his peers and more than half of his unit was awarded a Purple Heart.
After Marzola came home, he hit rock bottom. He had already been diagnosed with severe PTSD so the transition was difficult.
'“I blew up all the way to 255 pounds, lost, I got out of the Marine Corps, was over medicated, in so much pain. I couldn’t even get out of the couch, suicidal, in my darkest moment,” said Marzola.
His twin brother saw his pain and stepped in. He brought him to Wand Fight Team Martial Arts and introduced him to cannabis, two things that changed his life.
“Seeing a glimpse of literally accomplishing my childhood dream of becoming a professional MMA fighter, winning titles, being on billboards around Las Vegas, I saw all of that happening in that one little glimpse,” said Marzola.
He then turned his life around. He lost 100 pounds and won two MMA titles, a dream come true. He started his own business, Veteran’s Vitality, providing CBD to veterans and first responders. These outlets turned his life around and gave the hero a new purpose.
“First thing I do when I wake up is I thank god for giving me another opportunity and then I try to attack my day, I don’t let my day attack me,” said Marzola.
