Amazing Moments in Olympic History: Melissa Stockwell

In honor of Veterans Day, Team USA is featuring Melissa Stockwell, an injured veteran from the Iraq War who focused on competing in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Stockwell went from wearing a U.S. Army uniform to a Paralympic uniform, but regardless of the circumstances, she always was proud to represent the United States of America.

On April 13, 2004, a traumatizing event happened to Melissa Stockwell, an U.S. Army second lieutenant stationed in Iraq. On a typical supply convoy through the city, her Humvee went over a roadside bomb. The Humvee ricocheted off of a guardrail. The combination of that and the blast left her without her left leg from the knee down.

At the time, Stockwell didn't know her leg wasn't there anymore. All she saw was blood, but she knew something was wrong when her fellow soldiers applied a tourniquet to her leg. She was rushed to the hospital, and her husband, who also was a soldier serving in a different city in Iraq, was informed.

When Stockwell woke up, the first person she saw was her husband. She asked about her leg, and he was the one to inform her that it was no longer there. Infection had flared up, and all that was able to be saved was a 6-inch stub from her left hip.

But the first female amputee of the Iraq War didn't waste time returning to an active life. Two months after her amputation, Stockwell was in Colorado learning how to ski. Two months after that, she completed the New York City Marathon in a hand bike.

After more than a year of surgeries and treatment, Stockwell was medically retired from the Army, which awarded her a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. She decided she wanted to add another medal to her collection -- a Paralympic medal -- when she learned of the Paralympic Games during her rehabilitation.

Swimming was part of Stockwell's physical therapy, and she enjoyed swimming because she could do it without her prosthetic leg. She had always been athletic. As a former competitive gymnast, diver and rower, she knew she wouldn't be able to be herself again until she got back into sports. So why not go all out, become a better swimmer and compete at the elite level?

Stockwell swam competitively at clubs in Illinois and in her home state of Minnesota before moving to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., in January 2008 to train exclusively for the Paralympic Games. In April 2008 she officially qualified for the U.S. Paralympic Team, and she packed her bags for Beijing.

At the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, Stockwell swam the 100-meter butterfly, the 100-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle. She didn't advance to the finals in any of her events, but her teammates voted for her to carry the American flag in the Closing Ceremony.

Since the Paralympic Games, Stockwell continues to encourage people as a motivational speaker and as a triathlete. She finished first in her physically challenged division at the Chicago Triathlon, which is the official Olympic distance of 1 mile of swimming, 26 miles of biking and a 6.2-mile run. Stockwell's goal was to finish in four hours at the Aug. 30 race, and she ended up finishing in three hours and 45 minutes.

Most recently Stockwell competed in the San Diego Triathlon more than two weeks ago, on Oct. 25.

The 29-year-old currently resides in Chicago with her husband as she pursues a new career path. She is learning how to be a prosthetist, which fits amputees with prosthetic limbs. She understands how important that can be to a person's recovery, and she wants to help people get back on their feet, literally. She also acts as the Wounded Warrior Project's secretary-treasurer.

Although she didn't end up earning a Paralympic medal, the above-the-knee amputee doesn't regret a thing. Stockwell said she's already done more with one leg than she ever would've done with two. This Paralympian will remain an inspiration for generations to come.

Tags: Amazing Moments, Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, Melissa Stockwell, US Paralympics