Alek Skarlatos went from being a real-life hero to competing on reality TV on Dancing With The Stars season 21, all in a matter of just months. It is safe to say that Alek is not a typical celebrity that the fans would think about when a new DWTS cast was announced. He wasn’t known for being an actor, musician, athlete, or anything else of the sort prior to appearing on the show. Instead, Alek was a true hero whose story has inspired many viewers.
While the fans may not have known who Alek was a year before he appeared on DWTS, he became a hero to many just a little under a month before appearing on the show. Just a few weeks before Dancing With The Stars, Alek and two friends – Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler – were on a train traveling together on Thalys 9364. The trip was from Amsterdam to Paris via Brussels. Alek had just gotten back from serving in Afghanistan. While traveling, however, something very unexpected happened that changed their lives forever.
The story that led up Alek Skarlatos to join the DWTS season 21 cast involves a lot of courage. During his train ride with his friends, a 25-year-old man exited the bathroom in a train car with a plan to attack the people aboard the train. Two passengers – a French man named Damian A. and 51-year-old Mark Moogalian – tried to stop the gunman but did not succeed. After this, Anthony heard a gunshot, causing Spencer to run toward the gunman and take him down. Spencer was slashed while trying to restrain him. Next, Alek picked up the gunman’s rifle and beat him with its muzzle. Another passenger, 62-year-old Chris Norman, also helped restrain the gunman. Spencer was badly injured, but he choked the gunman until he was unconscious.
On August 22, 2015, Alek and his friends received worldwide attention for their actions during the attack, leading Alek to get an invite to join Dancing With The Stars season 21. Alek and his friends have received many awards, including France’s highest award, Chevaliers de la Légion d’honneur (Knights of the Legion of Honour). The three friends also became honorary naturalized French citizens in September 2018. Despite not always receiving the best scores from the judges on DWTS, Alek made it to the last episode and finished in third place behind runner-up Nick Carter and winner Bindi Irwin.
Despite not being the most well-known face and name going into his season of DWTS, Alek proved that heroism can get you the recognition that you never thought you would receive. He proved that someone could go from total anonymity to being on Dancing With The Stars in just a month.
