Melissa Stockwell Explained

Melissa Stockwell
Birth Date:31 January 1980
Birth Place:Grand Haven, Michigan, U.S.
Height:5feet[1]
Weight:1300NaN0
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Serviceyears:2002–2005
Show-Medals:yes

Melissa Stockwell (born January 31, 1980[2]) is an American two-time Paralympic triathlete, swimmer and former U.S. Army officer. Competing in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in three swimming events, she returned to race in the 2016 Paralympic Games and won a bronze medal in the inaugural triathlon event on September 11, 2016.

Military career

She joined the ROTC at the University of Colorado in her sophomore year and was a senior in college when the September 11, 2001 attack happened. She hadTransportation Officer Basic Course training in Virginia before being assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. She was deployed in March 2004 to Iraq.[3]

A first lieutenant, she was the first female soldier to lose a limb in the Iraq War. She lost her left leg when a roadside bomb exploded when she was leading a convoy in Baghdad.[4] For her service in Iraq she was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.[5] Following her retirement from the military she works as a prosthetist[6] and served on the board of directors of the Wounded Warrior Project from 2005 to 2014.

Sport

She subsequently became the first Iraq veteran chosen for the Paralympics.[7] She competed in three swimming events, the 100 m butterfly, 100 m freestyle, and 400 m freestyle, at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, and finished sixth, fifth, and fourth in her heats, respectively.[8] She was the U.S. team's flag bearer at the closing ceremonies.

Turning to triathlon after the Beijing Paralympics, Stockwell was selected to represent the US in the 2010 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Budapest. She won the Women's TRI-2 (above knee amputee) class, then successfully defended her TRI-2 World Champion title in 2011 and 2012.[9] She is a multiple US National Paratriathlon Champion in her classification,[10] [11] and was named USAT Paratriathlete of the Year in 2010[12] and 2011.[13] Stockwell is at the top of the ITU's rankings in the women's TRI-2 class.[14] She won a bronze medal in the PT2 category at the 2016 Paralympics.[15]

Stockwell is a Level 1 USAT Triathlon coach and co-founder of Dare2Tri, a Chicago-based triathlon club specifically for athletes with disability.[16]

Filmography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Melissa Stockwell . Triathlon.org . January 18, 2013.
  2. Web site: Triathlon: STOCKWELL Melissa . Tokyo 2020 Paralympics . . August 29, 2021 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829145905/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/triathlon/athlete-profile-n1708950-stockwell-melissa.htm . August 29, 2021.
  3. Web site: Wounded warrior shares inspirational message. June 9, 2016. blueridgenow.com. January 19, 2012.
  4. News: Stein . Ann . Stories of Inspiration: Melissa – Amputee, First female soldier to lose limb in Iraq discovers new life after injury . CMS.carepages.com . July 3, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080614134905/http://cms.carepages.com/CarePages/en/Stories/StoriesOfInspiration/AdultIllness/Melissa.html . June 14, 2008 . mdy-all .
  5. Web site: Dugan Kusumoto . Tara . Melissa Stockwell, Iraq War Veteran, Elected as Flag Bearer for Closing Ceremonies . September 16, 2008 . . October 25, 2008.
  6. Web site: Board of Directors – Melissa Stockwell . . January 18, 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20130416082441/http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission/board-of-directors/melissa-stockwell.aspx . April 16, 2013 . mdy-all .
  7. News: First Iraq war veteran chosen for Paralympics Melissa Stockwell, who lost leg to roadside bomb, makes U.S. swim team . Associated Press . April 6, 2008 . July 3, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081015000105/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23986068/ . October 15, 2008 . dead .
  8. Web site: Melissa Stockwell . Paralympic.org . .
  9. Web site: Melissa Stockwell: Results . International Triathlon Union.
  10. Web site: Paratriathletes compete for slots and title at USA Paratriathlon National Championship . everymantri . Aug 2011.
  11. Web site: Top Paratriathletes Earn USA Paratriathlon National Titles . USA Triathlon . May 2012 . January 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120818221312/http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/articles/2012/5/052812-paratri-nationals-recap.aspx . August 18, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  12. Web site: USA Triathlon Announces Paratriathletes Of The Year . Jan 2011 . January 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110407080831/http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/01/news/usa-triathlon-announces-paratriathletes-of-the-year_19280 . April 7, 2011 . dead .
  13. Web site: Melissa Stockwell, JP Theberge Named USA Paratriathlon Athletes of the Year . USA Triathlon . January 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120817202146/http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/articles/2012/2/022712-paratriathon-aoy.aspx . August 17, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  14. Web site: Rankings Tri2 Women . Triathlon.org . October 24, 2012 . January 26, 2013.
  15. https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/melissa-stockwell Melissa Stockwell
  16. Web site: Dare2Tri . January 18, 2013.
  17. http://aff.bside.com/2009/films/warriorchampions_craigrenaud_aff2009;jsessionid=28B10C9524CF17C31215A7884225424E Warrior Champions
  18. Web site: New Jersey . Stockton to host screening of 'Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing' . NJ.com . October 2011. January 18, 2013.

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