For Melissa Stockwell, representing the United States on the global stage means more than most.
Stockwell served in the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division and was deployed to Iraq to serve in the war. She was wounded in a roadside bombing in Baghdad and lost a limb. She later received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
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Since 2008, Stockwell has been competing in the Paralympics. First, she competed in swimming before moving to triathlon. She won a bronze medal in the 2016 Paralympics.
"Putting on that Team USA uniform on any international athletic stage, I never take that for granted," Stockwell told Fox News Digital. "I served in the military. I wore a military uniform, which is obviously a different uniform but very similar. And now I get to represent that country I defended in a different way on the world’s biggest athletic stage.
"There’s a lot that goes on in the world. I choose to just continue to believe in the people that live in this country. And when I put on that uniform and I race, it’s for the country that I am choosing to believe in. And it’s for those that have served and have given the ultimate sacrifice. So, that Team USA uniform has many meanings."
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Stockwell, who was the recipient of P&G’s Athletes for Good grant for her work through the Dare2Tri program, qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Paralympics.
The Paralympics begin Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 8.
Stockwell said she’s optimistic about bringing back a medal to the United States but knows it’s not an easy task.
"It’s years in the making and every single day I put in the work, put the effort in, and when I get on that starting line in Paris, I just have to trust that what I have done is enough," she said. "It’s not just race day, what really matters is what we do every single day.
"So, waking up, putting my best foot forward, training the best I can, starting myself with the best team and just really believing in myself and having people around me that believe in me."
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