HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – It has been once year since Colby Maury-Rice, a guardsman from Hattiesburg, suffered a severe heat stroke during drills at Camp Shelby.

The 19-year-old has been working to overcome the obstacles left by the stroke. He’s regaining his ability to walk, speak and read.

“I was not raised to be a quitter. Because no matter what happens, I know that whatever I’m going through, I can still make it,” Maury-Rice said.

He’s undergoing physical, speech and occupational therapy. His mother, Maeda Dockery, said her son has made a miraculous recovery.

“He has some amazing therapists right here in Hattiesburg, beginning with his home health therapy. And now, he’s going to outpatient therapy, and he’s trying really hard. Some mornings, he just can’t get up and go. But for the most part, he is doing his very best to get back to the Colby that we once knew,” she said.

Maury-Rice, a former athlete, rediscovered his love for competing. He took park in the Summer Endeavor Games in Oklahoma, where he received medals in the air rifle, archery and shotput categories.

“The Endeavor Games were some of the best times I’ve had since the incident. And just being able to, like, compete. I was told it was not about the medals. It was about my recovery, about showing that I can still do stuff,” he said.

Maury-Rice said he still has a long way to go, but he credits his friends and family for encouraging him along the way.

“Seeing their faces and knowing that they’re there, knowing that they’re relying on me to push through just gives me a sense of strength. It makes me feel like no matter what, I can do it,” he said.

Maury-Rice hopes to begin college next year.