Melissa Stockwell
 Stockwell speaking to fellow injured service members | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 23 April 1980 Grand Haven, MI | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 130 lb (59 kg)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | United States of America | ||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2009 | ||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Mike Durner[1] | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
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.[2] For her service in Iraq she was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.[3]
She subsequently became the first Iraq veteran chosen for the Paralympics.[4] 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.[5] She was the U.S. team's flag bearer at the closing ceremonies.[3]
Stockwell trains at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as part of the Veterans Paralympic Performance Program.[3]
Filmography
- Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing, a documentary film by directors Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c http://www.triathlon.org/athletes/profile/41634/melissa_stockwell/
- ^ Stein, Ann. "Stories of Inspiration: Melissa - Amputee, First woman soldier to lose limb in Iraq discovers new life after injury". CMS.carepages.com. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ a b c Dugan Kusumoto, Tara (September 16, 2008). "Melissa Stockwell, Iraq War Veteran, Elected as Flag Bearer for Closing Ceremonies". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "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. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ Melissa Stockwell at the International Paralympic Committee
- Melissa Stockwell at IPC.InfostradaSports.com (archived)
- ^ Warrior Champions, Austin Film Festival
- ^ http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2011/10/stockton_to_host_screening_of.html
  | This biographical article related to the United States Army is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This biographical article related to a United States swimmer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Living people
- 1980 births
- American amputees
- American military personnel of the Iraq War
- American sportswomen
- Paralympic swimmers of the United States
- Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal
- Recipients of the Purple Heart medal
- Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- United States Army officers
- Women in the Iraq War
- Women in the United States Army
- United States Army personnel stubs
- American swimming biography stubs