Melissa Stockwell

Started: She took up Para triathlon in 2009 at age 29. (Athlete, 18 Jan 2015) Reason: "I was invited to do a triathlon. And I thought, triathletes are crazy - swim, bike and run was, you know, all in one day seemed a little daunting. But I love challenges, so I went and gave it a shot." (npr.org, 21 Sep 2015) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (forbes.com, 11 Nov 2022) Awards: She and wheelchair rugby player Chuck Aoki were flag bearers for the United States of America at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (teamusa.com, 24 Aug 2021) She received the 2014 Mildred 'Babe' Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award from the United States Sports Academy. (ussa.edu, 29 Aug 2014) She was named Female Para Triathlete of the Year by USA Triathlon in 2010 and 2011. (ussa.edu, 29 Aug 2014) She was the United States of America's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (Athlete, 02 Aug 2010) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In March 2023 she was appointed as a member of the US President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition for a two-year term. She co-founded the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club in Chicago, IL, United States of America, and has also served as a board member for the Wounded Warrior Project, the Mideast Region Triathlon Council, and the USA Triathlon Women's Committee. In 2020 she released an autobiographical book called 'The Power of Choice: My Journey from Wounded Soldier to World Champion'. (health.gov, 05 Sep 2023; forbes.com, 23 Aug 2021; tokyo2020.org, 04 Sep 2020; teamusa.org, 01 Sep 2016) PROSTHETICS BUSINESS In 2019 she and her husband Brian Tolsma co-founded a prosthetics business called Tolsma Stockwell Prosthetics, which is based in Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America. "So, basically it is a place where amputees can go and we will fit them with their own prosthetic, whether it's a leg or an arm. We're kind of just helping the community. In Colorado Springs we see a lot of veterans, a lot of elite athletes, and we're just truly helping them." (Tolsma Stockwell Prosthetics Facebook page, 23 Apr 2024; health.gov, 05 Sep 2023; LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2023; Hiring America YouTube channel, 18 Jan 2023; olympics.nbcsports.com, 27 Mar 2020) MILITARY SERVICE In 2002 she graduated from university and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army. In March 2004 she was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. In April that year she was on a routine convoy when her vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, which ultimately resulted in the amputation of her left leg above the knee. She was medically retired from the army in 2005. "I'd like to say I was born a patriot. I loved my country from a very young age. The army teaches values that can carry over into all aspects of life, especially as an athlete. It taught me discipline, the power of a team, wanting to be part of something bigger than myself and simple things like being on time and giving my all. I loved wearing the military uniform and now I get to wear a similar, yet different uniform, representing my country on the world stage." (Babbittville YouTube channel, 07 Mar 2024; Hiring America YouTube channel, 18 Jan 2023; forbes.com, 11 Nov 2022; delawareonline.com, 08 Apr 2014; usatriathlon.org, 06 May 2014; triathloninspires.com, 2014) FURTHER EDUCATION After she studied communications at the University of Colorado Boulder between 1998 and 2002, she studied prosthetics at Century College in Mahtomedi, MN, United States of America, between 2005 and 2007. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2023)