Eden Prairie residents will be able to watch one of our own compete at the 2024 Paralympics, currently underway in Paris, France.
Melissa Stockwell, a 1998 graduate of Eden Prairie High School, will represent the U.S. in triathlon at her fourth Paralympic Games. She already holds one bronze medal in the sport from the 2016 Paralympics and is a three-time world champion paratriathlete.
Viewers will have to get up extra early to catch the event live: Stockwell competes this Sunday, Sept. 1, at 2:35 a.m. Central Time, which is 9:35 a.m. in Paris.
At 44, Stockwell, who now lives in Colorado, will be competing in the women’s triathlon in the PTS2 classification. This category is for athletes with impairments in the lower and/or upper limbs who do not require a handcycle for the cycling segment or a racing chair for the running segment. Assistive devices such as prosthetic legs and/or bike modifications are allowed.
Turning adversity into triumph
Stockwell’s story is one of resilience and determination. Growing up, she was an elite gymnast who also competed in diving and other sports. After graduating from Eden Prairie High School, Stockwell attended the University of Colorado Boulder. In 2002, she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s Transportation Corps.
One month after being deployed to Iraq in 2004, she became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat. Her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, and she lost her left leg above the knee. Stockwell was honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
In 2008, she became the first Iraq War veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, which feature athletes with disabilities. She competed in three swimming events in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, where she was chosen to be the flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremonies.
She soon pivoted to triathlon, competing in that event at the 2016 Paralympic Games (where she won bronze) and the 2020 Games in Tokyo, which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more about Stockwell’s life and Olympic journey on the official Team USA website, her personal website, and her Instagram page.
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