Melissa Stockwell Athlete
Melissa Stockwell is an American paratriathlete and former swimmer and U.S. Army officer. A first lieutenant, she was the first woman 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. For her service in Iraq she was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Stockwell is the reigning two time Paratriathlon World Champion in the Tri 2 classification. She subsequently became the first Iraq veteran chosen for the Paralympics. She competed in three swimming events, the 100 meter butterfly, 100 meter freestyle, and 400 meter freestyle, at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and finished sixth, fifth, and fourth in her heats, respectively. She was the U.S. team's flag bearer at the closing ceremonies. Stockwell trains at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as part of the Veterans Paralympic Performance Program.
