Melissa Stockwell

Melissa Stockwell is a two-time Paralympian and former U.S. Army Officer who shares her remarkable story and inspiring insights across the country at Fortune 500 companies, military bases, professional organizations, charities, and schools.

Melissa graduated from the University of Colorado and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, where a blast from a roadside bomb struck her Humvee, causing the loss of her left leg above the knee. After enduring numerous infections and surgeries, Melissa was medically retired from the Army. She is the first female soldier to lose a limb in active combat and has been awarded both the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

Following her accident, sports become her road to recovery. In 2008, she became the first Iraqi War Veteran to qualify for the Beijing Paralympics, where served as the flag bearer in the Closing Ceremony. After Beijing, Melissa turned to the sport of Paratriathlon and is now a three-time World Champion. On September 11, 2016, at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she won a bronze Medal. She competed in the 2021 Paralympics and is currently training for one more shot at a Paralympic Gold Medal at the Paris Games in 2024.