Melissa Stockwell

After being deployed to Iraq in 2004, Melissa became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat, when her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. She was honored with a purple heart and a bronze star and made a promise not to let losing a leg slow her down. 

Four years later she became the first Iraq war Veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, competing in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics where she was selected to be the flag bearer for Team USA. She then turned to the sport of triathlon and went on to compete in the 2016 Paralympic Games where she became a bronze medalist, and again in Tokyo 2021. She is now training towards Paris 2024 in hopes of her fourth Paralympics.

Melissa is a business owner with her husband, co-founder of Dare2tri Paratriathlon club, but is most proud to be a mom to her two kids, Dallas and Millie.