Blasting through shock waves strong enough to twist and break the metal on the bottom of his ACES II ejection seat, it's no wonder Udell's arms and legs fared no better.

When his legs were recovering, Udell refused to be bed-ridden. Instead he improvised by borrowing a friend's riding lawnmower to get around the neighborhood.

Udell, with his wife, Kristi, and two sons, Morgan and Garrett, said thoughts of his family and a lot of praying gave him the strength to survive his ordeal.