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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- There was no shortage of skateboarders, both old and young, at Memorial Skatepark on "Go Skateboarding Day," but one experienced skater was drawing a little more attention than the rest.

Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a 22-year-old, skates without any legs, including prosthetics.  The gold-winning paralympian had his legs amputated when he was just 5 years old. It was a decision he made by himself.

"When I had my legs amputated, I really wanted to get into sports. I'd been stuck in the wheelchair since I was born, and walking was something I'd always wanted to do," Garcia-Tolson said.  "When I got my first pair of walking legs, I used to walk to school just because I had the freedom to walk."

Garcia-Tolson began swimming in a therapeutic pool shortly after, growing to love the activity.  It soon became more than therapy for Garcia-Tolson when he joined an able-bodied swim team.

"I used to come in dead last in all my competitions because I was the boy with no legs, and I was referred to as the boy with no legs," Garcia-Tolson said. "I set a goal for myself and that was to beat a kid with legs. I thought, if I could touch a kid out next to me who had two arms and two legs, it'd be the greatest thing ever and in one competition, I did."

The paralympian has now won medals in Shanghai for the sport in previous Olympics, as well as running triathalons and Ironman competitions. All accomplishments that help him in his goal to inspire kids.

"For me, it's a gift, and I fully embrace it because I get to show other kids, especially those in the same situation as me, that you don't have to sit in a wheelchair. You can do anything. It's all your attitude," Garcia-Tolson said.  "The real disability is having a negative attitude."

Garcia-Tolson is currently training to swim in the 2012 Olympics in London.  He's also training for another half Ironman.

"I think of my legs when I was born as my chains," he said. "So when they cut my legs off, they cut my chains off and I was free."

Garcia-Tolson will also be competing in a local swim meet this weekend.