2010 & 2011 Para-Triathlete of the Year - Melissa Stockwell

Melissa Stockwell is one of the (many) people who have served our country bravely and courageously!

As a Freshman at the University of Colorado, Boulder Melissa joined the US Army ROTC and committed to 4 years of active duty with the US Army.  She started as a US Army officer in 2002, and was deployed to Iraq.

In 2004 Melissa was leading a convoy through Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded and blew her unarmored Humvee into a guardrail and then a house.  The result was that she lost her left leg.

Melissa is now an above-the-knee amputee on her left side.  In fact, Melissa is the first woman soldier to lose a limb in the Iraq War.  And for her honorable service, Melissa received a Bronze Star plus a Purple Heart.

But that's not the end of the story!  Melissa is now a world class Para-Triathlete!!

After spending a year of recovery at the Walter Reed Medical Center, Melissa took up swimming (for the first time in her life!).  She even became a member of Team USA Swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Following this event, she chose to pursue Para-Triathlons.  This is what she has to show for it:

• 2011 USA Female Para-Triathlete of the Year
• 1st Place -- 2011 ITU Para-Triathlon World Championship Beijing (TRI-2)
• 1st Place -- 2011 ITU Para-Triathlon National Championship NYC (TRI-2)
• 2010 USA Female Para-Triathlete of the Year
• 1st Place -- 2010 ITU Para-Triathlon World Championship Budapest (TRI-2)
• 2nd Place -- 2010 ITU Para-Triathlon National Championship (TRI-1)
• 1st Place -- 2009 Olympic Distance Triathlon Chicago (her division)

Melissa is not participating in the 2012 London Paralympics, only because her sport is not an event.  But that will change soon!  Para-Triathlon will make its debut at the 2016 Rio Paralympics!!!

This is another story of an American Hero!  We owe our deepest gratitude to Melissa Stockwell, Rob Jones, Brad Snyder, Ryan McIntosh and many others!!

Melissa is one of 4 veterans featured in a documentary called Warrior Champions.  Check out this movie trailer...

US Army Hero In Action - Ryan McIntosh

His name is Ryan McIntosh.  He's 23-years old.  Married.  Has a 16-month old son.

In this photo he's a ballboy in a tennis tournament - the 2012 US Open.  But you may notice his right leg is a C-shaped prosthesis.


Ryan grew up in Colorado as a high school track star.  He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.  He planned to run track and play football at Graceland College (in Iowa).  But he changed his mind and enlisted in the US Army to become a soldier.  He then went off to Fort Benning, GA for basic training.


He was deployed to Afghanistan in October 2010, and two months later he lost his leg when he stepped on a land mine near Kandahar.  He and his unit were walking through the very dangerous Arghandab River Valley when he stepped on the mine which launched him 10 feet in the air.  As a result, his leg was amputated just below the knee.

Since then he has bravely moved forward with life.  His wife gave birth to their first child in April 2011!  He works for the US Army at Fort Sam Houston (in San Antonio) as the Adaptive Sports Coordinator - helping other wounded soldiers rehab and recover.

Out of 600 people who applied to be ballboys at this year's US Open, Ryan was 1 of 250 chosen.  Next year he plans to compete in the Warrior Games for wounded US Military soldiers.  And his ultimate goal is to compete in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro!

His physical strength and overall story are inspiring.  But Ryan says the most challenging aspect of his recovery is the psychological trauma.  Nightmares often haunt him.  And blasts, like the opening ceremony fireworks, are "gut-wrenching."

But he presses on.  Ryan says, "When I was growing up, my dad was always my coach, always right by my side.  That's what I want to do with my son."

This young man is a US Army Hero In Action!