With the Paralympics one week away, bronze-winning Minnesotan prepares to swim, bike and run in France

CATHY WURZER: We are exactly one week away from the Paralympic Summer Games kicking off in Paris. Now, earlier this week, we talked to Aaron Pike. Aaron is a Park Rapids, Minnesota Native, about his quest for gold. And now we're going to turn to Melissa Stockwell. Melissa grew up in Eden Prairie. At 22 years old, she was commissioned into the US Army. Melissa was deployed in Iraq in 2004, where she got a title that nobody wants. She became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat.

She was honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. That didn't stop Melissa from staying active and living her life. Just four years later, she became the first Iraq war veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, competing in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. So fast forward to today, and she's competing in her fourth Paralympic Games in the sport of triathlon. Melissa is already in France ahead of the games. And I am so honored that Melissa Stockwell is on the line. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

MELISSA STOCKWELL: Hi, there. Thank you for having me. Or should I say bonjour from France, because we are here already?

CATHY WURZER: Good. I'm glad you're there. What's it like?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: So we're not in Paris yet. But the triathlon team, we're training in a town called Vichy, which is about four hours or so from Paris. So we are here until Monday. And then we had to Paris to get things ready there.

CATHY WURZER: OK. Well, now, tell us in terms of-- when we talked to Aaron earlier this week, he had a story about why he turned to sports after he was injured. And I'm curious, after you lost your leg in combat, what was the moment when you decided that you were going to live your life, you were going to become an elite athlete? What was that turning point for you?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: Yeah. I did all my rehab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which was in Washington DC at the time and wasn't-- obviously, I was 24 years old. I just lost a leg, really had no idea where my life was going to bring me. And I'd always been an athlete. And a few months after being at the hospital, there was a presentation put on about the US Paralympic Games. And it was an Olympic games for athletes with disabilities. And as a young child, I dreamed of going to the Olympics in the sport of gymnastics. And obviously, that didn't happen.

So it was kind of like I sat there listening to this presentation and hearing that I had a second chance. I could represent our country. I could become an athlete on the world's biggest stage. And it was going to take a lot to get there. But I left that meeting knowing that somehow, some way, I wanted to make that a reality.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. So you competed in swimming in Beijing. And now, you are in the triathlon, which didn't just debut not that long ago, like 2016 or something like that?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: Yeah, exactly. Yep. 2016 was the first year that para triathlon was a Paralympic sport. Yep.

CATHY WURZER: What is it about triathlon that you love? Because I think it would be incredibly difficult.

MELISSA STOCKWELL: [LAUGHS] The challenge of all three events, I went from swimming in a pool, which I still really love, but kind of the monotony of kind of back and forth to now I get to swim in the ocean or swim in a lake. And I get to ride my bike, and I get to run. And just the variety of it, the challenge of all three sports, and I just kind of, yeah, fell in love with triathlon the first time I crossed the finish line.

CATHY WURZER: I'm going to assume here, Melissa, that all of that work-- swimming, biking, running-- could give your prosthetic a real workout and really some wear and tear on that. So what do you have to consider as you are competing in triathlon?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: It's a little bit different. So the prosthetic adds very much of a different component and different something that we need to be able to run with or to bike with. So it adds a little bit more equipment to a sport that already has a lot of equipment. So I don't swim with a prosthetic leg. And then I have a special adaptation on my bike that I kind of put my leg in, but then I have a prosthetic running leg. So a little bit more wear and tear on the body, I'd say.

We do have-- they're called prosthetics, and there are people that work on, that make artificial limbs and work with them. And my husband and I actually have a prosthetic company in Colorado Springs. And he actually makes my legs. So I work with him to make sure that the prosthetic is up to speed, that there's nothing-- no cracks, no tears. It fits correctly, especially leading into big events like the Paralympic Games.

CATHY WURZER: Thank you for bringing up your company because on this program before, we've talked about how running prosthetics are really unaccessible for a whole lot of people. So why was it important for you to start the company?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: So you're right, where prosthetics can be a challenge for somebody to get the appropriate prosthetic that they need to live the active lifestyle that they want to live. And a lot of times insurance companies don't cover running prosthetics. And there are certain states that are making that happen, but it's still a long way off for the general public to be able to go and get a running leg just so they can run around their community. It can be a challenge.

So my husband and I, we opened our own prosthetic company. And we really wanted, I mean, the reward of truly getting somebody back up on their feet and whether that's walking with a prosthetic, whether it's on a running leg, maybe they're missing an arm and they need a prosthetic arm. So it just really kind of giving these amputees the ability to do whatever it is that they want to do with the prosthetic device.

CATHY WURZER: So what do you think of the fact that I'm sure you are a role model for other individuals who have physical challenges? What's it feel like?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: It's definitely the cherry on top. I feel like I've lived my life the way that I want to live it. I love what I do, and I do it because I'm very passionate about it. But if that ends up giving somebody the inspiration to get out there and see what they can do, it's great. I love hearing the stories of maybe my story inspired someone else to get out there. So I'm very proud of it.

CATHY WURZER: And let's talk about the Paralympics, by the way. Now, Aaron Pike said this week-- and we were talking about what needs to be done to uplift Paralympic athletes. Because of course, so much focus, especially this month, has been on Olympic athletes, Summer Olympic athletes. What do you think needs to be done to really put the Paralympic Games top of mind for the general public?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: It's a work in progress. I do think that the excitement around the Paralympic Games this time around is more than I have ever seen. I think you turn on the TV or you see commercials or you see news stories, and there's so-- these Paralympians, who deserve the recognition, are shown more than they ever have been. So I think the awareness is improving. I think it's continuing to do that. I think a lot of people think that the Olympics end, and that's it. But it's more like you get a little break, you get to rest your voice, you get to kind of recharge before the Paralympics start again two weeks later.

So it's really just-- I mean, it shows like this one-- it's just kind of getting the word out there that it's not over. Like, we're all out there. We're training. We're racing. We've dedicated many years to making our dreams try to become a reality on that highest course. And it's not over. And we're going to get out there and show the world what we can do.

CATHY WURZER: So you won bronze the first time around. And gold is, of course, going to be your goal. And I want to watch you. So I know Peacock, NBC's Peacock is covering this. When will you compete?

MELISSA STOCKWELL: So I compete at 8:30 AM Paris time on September 1. So not great timing for those in the States because we are eight hours ahead of Mountain Time. So I guess Central Time, that would be 1:30 AM. So unless anybody wants to stay up late, and it is a Saturday night, but Sunday morning, when you wake up in the States on Sunday morning, it'll be on Peacock, it'll be on NBC as a replay. That I am kind of advising those that don't want to stay up all night to watch a race to check it out on the replay.

And there will be some highlights that NBC does on the Paralympic Games. But just like on the Olympics, we could go, we could see, we could click on what we wanted to watch in the events or the individuals and the specific athletes. And it's just the same for the Paralympic Games. So hopefully, everyone tunes in and cheers us on.

CATHY WURZER: We will definitely do that. Melissa, thank you, and we wish you well.

MELISSA STOCKWELL: Thank you. Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.

CATHY WURZER: Have a great time. Melissa Stockwell grew up in Eden Prairie, is a Paralympic triathlete competing in Paris next week. Thank you for listening to Minnesota Now here on MPR News.