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...
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