The last time I spoke to Paralympic triathlete Melissa Stockwell, she was training for the Tokyo Games with a broken back and a bruised pelvis. Doctors told her she was lucky: The three back fractures happened to be in “the best places” and didn’t require surgery. Still, the bike accident severely affected her ability to train. So when she finally finished fifth in Tokyo, she celebrated despite not winning a medal.
“Today, when I ran to the finish line, I felt very happy.” she tweeted then. “I felt like I won the race and was soaking in the moment every step of the way.”
Anyone who knows Stockwell’s story—her tenacity and tenacity, courage and gratitude—probably won’t be surprised by such a powerful and intimate ending. Nor will they be surprised that she will compete again at the Paris Paralympics on September 1.
Before Stockwell became a mother of two children, Dallas, 9, and Millie, 7, in Colorado, she was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division. In 2004, a roadside bomb crashed her vehicle into a guardrail and her left leg was amputated above the knee, making her the first female soldier to lose a limb in the Iraq War. Yet just four years later, she became the first Iraq War veteran to represent the United States in swimming at the Beijing Paralympics.
“Sports is an important avenue for anyone, but especially for people with disabilities,” she said of choosing to compete. “Losing a leg and finding out that I could still be an athlete, and not only that, I could be a Paralympian, and I could compete on the biggest sporting stage in the world, wearing a Team USA uniform. When I As a little kid, I dreamed of going to the Olympics, but that obviously never happened, so like I was given a second chance, I wanted to see what I could do.
In 2016, she returned as a triathlete and won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics. Paris will be her fourth Paralympic Games and training has become easier now that she has fully recovered from the accident, but it’s still not easy with two young children.
“It’s a juggling act,” Stockwell admits. “Especially in the summer. Schedules are often up in the air. Summer camp is key. But what do you do if a kid gets sick? So we’re definitely in the same boat as other families with two parents who work full-time.
The effort is worth it, however, not only because Stockwell derives deep personal satisfaction from competing, but also because she feels she sets an example for children and parents alike.
“My kids are old enough now that they see their mom has a goal and has big dreams… and hopefully they can see that and one day they can do it themselves,” she said. “I’m also a proud 44-year-old woman and a proud mother of two. I’m trying to get out there and show other parents ‘You can do this.
Unlike Tokyo, where coronavirus restrictions mean there are no friends and family to accompany the athletes as spectators, Stockwell will enjoy loud cheers this year with son Dallas and daughter Millie leading the charge.
“They were very excited,” she said. “I don’t know if they knew what was going to happen, how big it was going to be, how grand it was, but they knew I’d been training for it.”
Her other biggest fans are members of Team USA, and the feeling is very mutual. She explained that every morning they would have breakfast together before heading out for a day of training. The exact training regimen varies (“I think raising kids makes you fluid”), but usually involves at least three hours of grueling training in the pool, gym and on the road.
“They are my second family,” she said fondly. “I spend a lot of time with them. We inspire each other. We push each other. We’re there for each other’s ups and downs. We all want each other to succeed. We get to the starting line and we want to win, but when my teammates also I’m really happy for them when they do well.
But ultimately, Stockwell wasn’t only Swimming, biking and running for her family, her team, and even her country.
Stockwell is in Paris to compete in the 2023 World ParaTriathlon. (Fun fact: She rides the bike without prosthetics to improve her aerodynamics.
Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
“Honestly, [I also] I want to prove to myself that I can still do this and I can still go out with young people,” she said. “Then if that inspires other people to do the same, that’s great.
“I think we [mothers] Don’t give yourself enough credit for what you can do. I think a lot of times, parents, moms, will say, ‘Oh, there’s no way I have time for this. But you’ll find the time in the day to fill your cup and allow you to be yourself. You can do it…and honestly I think it will make you a better parent.
