One Southern California man is so intent on joining the United States armed forces, he's willing to go under the knife to do so.

Jesse Gonzalez teaches hot pilates classes. It’s a high intensity workout where the room is heated.

“Some of you spend all day long walking so we gotta strengthen the muscles in your legs here nice and strong,” Gonzalez yelled to his students.

Watching him work, it’s clear he’d stand a fighting chance in basic training for the military. In fact, he was weeks away from finishing and joining the Navy Reserves.

He couldn’t complete the training, however, due to a progressive eye condition known as keratoconus, in which the cornea becomes pointy, like a football.

It’s something the military doctors discovered during one of Gonzalez's entry checkups.

His Insurance will cover some of the surgical costs to fix his eye disease, but not all. He’s raising the difference now, which will be a couple thousand dollars.

On his forearm you can see he has a Disney tattoo. Despite this setback, it kind of sums up his outlook on life.

“Just like overall I guess being happy and always being youthful like at heart so that’s why I got it,“ said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez married his husband Eduardo Jimenez in 2014.

“My husband is doing whatever he can to help this country,” said Jimenez.

The couple has helped each other through struggles. Gonzalez watched Jimenez become a naturalized United States citizen last year after many years of work. Jimenez got the official certificate at a ceremony in Los Angeles in December 2018.

Similarly, Jimenez supported Gonzalez as he signed up and went off to basic.

“When he went to boot camp he had to be away for a while and that was pretty hard,” said Jimenez.

The yard and garden is mostly Jimenez’s domain. Gonzalez waters the plants sometimes.

Gonzalez bought his home last year after a lifetime of renting. His main motivation for going to these lengths to join the armed forces: securing a future for his family.

He serves up tough workouts; he serves meals at his second restaurant job; now he’s ready to serve his country.