Keynote Speakers

 

Friday Keynote

 

 

Melissa Stockwell
American War Hero & Paralympic Medalist

Melissa Stockwell graduated from the University of Colorado and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States 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 ever 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 the road to recovery for Melissa. In 2008, she became the first Iraqi War Veteran to qualify for the Beijing Paralympics, where she competed in three swimming events and was honored by her fellow Team USA athletes to be the flag bearer in the Closing Ceremony. After Beijing, Melissa turned to the sport of paratriathlon and is now a three-time World Champion. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and returned to the 2024 Paris Games in the summer of 2024, her fourth Paralympics. She finished fifth at age 44.