Ellie Marks

Started: She began swimming in 2011 at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States of America. (army.mil, 30 May 2013) Reason: She believed the sport would be a good way of overcoming her injuries. "My objective has stayed the same throughout. It has never been about medals or my time. It's about sharing the beauty of adaptive sports. Adaptive sports is healing mentally, physically and emotionally. Everything that comes outside of that is just a bonus." (Team USA Facebook page, 24 Nov 2017; ftgordonsignal.com, 04 Oct 2013) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 29 Sep 2023) Awards: In 2017 she was inducted into the Army Women's Hall of Fame by the US Army. (army.mil, 17 Mar 2021) In 2016 she won the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly [ESPY] Awards in the United States of America. (hollywoodlife.com, 13 Jul 2016) Additional Info: EARLY DAYS She grew up in Prescott Valley, AZ, United States of America, and as a teenager she struggled to find a goal in life. She joined a military-based educational programme sponsored by the US Army, where mentors provided her with structure and a support system that eventually inspired her to join the military at age 17. She served as a combat medic in Iraq, where she got injured, and later became a competitive swimmer in the US Army's World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson in Colorado. "The Army has afforded me the ability to have a family and a network of people that trust. I think there are a lot of kids that deserve those chances." (defense.gov, 28 Jul 2021; army.mil, 17 Oct 2017) LONDON REUNION She was cheered on by the critical care team of Royal Papworth Hospital at the 2019 World Championships in London, England. They had looked after her in 2014 when she fell critically ill ahead of the Invictus Games in the same city. She donated the four gold medals she won at the 2016 Invictus Games to the team at Royal Papworth as a mark of her gratitude. "If not for the people of Papworth Hospital I wouldn't get the chance to compete in a final [where she won a gold medal in the S7 100m backstroke at the 2019 World Championships]." (redlandscommunitynews.com, 01 Nov 2019; people.com, 13 Sep 2019; royalpapworth.nhs.uk, 13 Sep 2019) TATTOOS The tattoos on her right leg present an image of her life story. They include a large, wounded crow that represents her, and a red cross that symbolises her work as a combat medic in the army. The tattoos cover some of her scars, but she still leaves some exposed, and refuses make-up to cover them. "I earned them, so I'm going to wear them." She also has a polar bear tattoo on her big toe. "It's just like a goofy ugly tattoo. So, every time I look down on the block, the last thing I see is something that just makes me giggle. That's [for] my husband." (stripes.com, 21 Jul 2021; telegraph.co.uk, 13 Sep 2016; espn.com, 14 Jul 2016)