Iraq Vet Named to Paralympic TeamMelissa Stockwell is the first veteran of the war in Iraq to
earn a spot on the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team, and she will compete
in the Paralympic Games in Beijing this summer. Stockwell, 28, a
former gymnast-turned-swimmer, set a new American record in the
women's 400m freestyle event during Paralympic trials in April.
"I can't imagine my lifewithout sports," Stockwell told
Minnesota's Star Tribune. "I knew I wouldn't be myself again until
I was back in sports. I've always enjoyed a challenge. I wanted to
prove to myself that even though I don't have a leg, I'm not going
to let that stop me."
Stockwell, an Army veteran, lost her left leg in a roadside bomb
attack in Baghdad on April 13, 2004.
The Washington Post estimates that between four and ten
more Iraq vets will follow Stockwell and be named to the Paralympic
team. 
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