Kortney Clemons Explained

Kortney Clemons
Residence:Little Rock, Mississippi
Birth Date:23 June 1980
Height:5inchesft10inchesin (ftin)

Kortney Clemons (born June 23, 1980)[1] is an American Paralympic athlete and Iraq War Veteran.[2]

He is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions about American soldiers who lost limbs or suffered paralysis in Iraq, and their way to the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.

Early life

Clemons went to high school in Little Rock, Mississippi. He played football, basketball and baseball.

He played junior college football as a cornerback at East Mississippi Community College before he joined the army.[3]

Military service

Clemons is a Purple Heart recipient. He served in the United States Army from 2001 to 2006.[4]

He was working as a combat medic in the 1st Cavalry Division.

Clemons lost his leg in Baghdad, Iraq on February 21, 2005, when he and other soldiers were helping a group of soldiers whose car had hit gravel and tipped over. As they were helping, a roadside bomb exploded, and wounded some and killed others. In the first years since this happened, Clemons has worn a bracelet with the name of three soldiers who lost their lives; 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, Staff Sgt. David Day and Sgt. Jesse Lhotka.[5]

Paralympic career

Clemons attended a clinic held by U.S. Paralympics at Brooke Army Medical Center in 2005, and then a Military Sports Camp, which was when he started track and field training. He first started competing in power lifting, but chose to commit to track and field in 2007.[6]

He is the first Iraq war Veteran to have qualified for the U.S. Paralympic team.[1] [2] [7]

He tried to qualify for the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing,[8] but did not make the cut.[9] This is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions.[10] He is now focusing on the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.[11]

Currently, he is on the roster to compete for the U.S. in the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[12]

National championships

He won the 100m (T42) at the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, Tempe, Ariz, in 2008.

Education

He attended Penn State University and participated in their Ability Athlete program.[13] [14] [15]

Bibliography

Book: Clemons, Kortney. Briggs, Bill. Amped: A Soldier's Race for Gold in the Shadow of War. 2008. John Wiley & Sons. 978-0-470-28137-6. 288.

Filmography

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soac/2006-11-20-clemons_x.htm Iraq war vet outruns tragedy, regains athletic drive
  2. http://www.hireheroesusa.org/veterans/success-stories/kortney-clemons Kortney Clemons
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20090529230421/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/paralympicsport/5373861/Wounded-veteran-Kortney-Clemons-takes-on-Oscar-Pistorius-at-the-Paralympic-World-Cup.html Wounded veteran Kortney Clemons takes on Oscar Pistorius at the Paralympic World Cup
  4. http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/Testimony_Print.aspx?newsid=447&Name=_Sergeant_Kortney__Clemons,_USA_(Ret.) House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs - Statement of Sergeant Kortney Clemons, USA (Ret.)
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20100322193640/http://haitiamputees.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/03/19/4035126-kortney-clemons-a-soldiers-story-of-amputation Kortney Clemons: A soldier's story of amputation
  6. Web site: Össur Americas.
  7. https://archive.today/20130201013627/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/1166156271.html?dids=1166156271:1166156271&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+21,+2006&author=Sal+Ruibal&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Iraq+war+vet+outruns+tragedy+;+Bomb+attack+took+his+leg,+but+couldn't+shake+his+confidence&pqatl=google Iraq war vet outruns tragedy ; Bomb attack took his leg, but couldn't shake his confidence
  8. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/13051084 Iraq war amputee seeks success on track
  9. http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=372850.html Wounded veterans fill Paralympic ranks
  10. http://usparalympics.org/news/2009/11/10/warrior-champions-behind-the-scenes-with-craig-renaud/28941 Warrior Champions: Behind the scenes with Craig Renaud
  11. http://usparalympics.org/news/2009/11/10/clemons-road-to-london-goes-straight-through-iraq/28940 Clemons' Road to London goes straight through Iraq
  12. Web site: U.S. Paralympics - Features, Events, Results - Team USA. https://web.archive.org/web/20130227013940/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics. dead. February 27, 2013. Team USA.
  13. Web site: Ability Athletics helps Wounded Warriors focus on strengths.
  14. Web site: Penn State Ability Athletics to host Run, Walk and Roll Mile Race Oct. 24.
  15. Web site: BTN LiveBIG: Penn State premiere. Big Ten Network.
  16. http://aff.bside.com/2009/films/warriorchampions_craigrenaud_aff2009;jsessionid=28B10C9524CF17C31215A7884225424E Warrior Champions
  17. Web site: Stockton to host screening of 'Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing'. NJ.com.

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