When Melissa Stockwell was young, she dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast. And although her life has taken a few unexpected turns, she has maintained her love of athletics and competitive spirit. Today, Stockwell is a national and global paratriathlon champion who is getting ready to compete for a spot on Team USA, headed to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. <\/p>\n
In 2005, Stockwell became the first female to lose a limb during active combat when her vehicle was struck by an IED outside of Baghdad. Her lower left leg was amputated, and although she underwent a number of surgeries and survived a number of infections, she writes on her website that her sense of gratitude and hope remained intact.<\/p>\n
The journey that led her to become an international athletic champion and sports world icon is nothing short of inspiring. Just three years after her (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Melissa Stockwell was young, she dreamed of becoming an Olympic gymnast. And although her life has taken a few unexpected turns, she has maintained her love of athletics and competitive spirit. Today, Stockwell is a national and global paratriathlon…<\/span><\/p>\n