Melissa Stockwell
Recipient of Purple Heart and Bronze Star, Paralympic Triathelete, Co-founder, Dare2tri Paratriathlon
Opening Plenary
Thursday, November 30 | 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Melissa was born a patriot and was commissioned into the US Army in 2002. After being deployed to Iraq in 2004, she 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 was selected to be the flag bearer for Team USA. She went on to compete in the Triathalon at the 2016 Paralympic games, where she won the bronze medal, and again in Tokyo 2021. She 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.