I-Paralympian Melissa Stockwell Ngokuziqhenya KwaseMelika kanye Nemibono Ekhuthazayo

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Uma kunento eyodwa uMelissa Stockwell ayizwayo ngalesi sikhathi, ukubonga. Ngaphambi kweMidlalo yamaParalympic kuleli hlobo eTokyo, e-U.S.Umakadebona wezempi ubelimele esigamekweni sebhayisikili ngemuva kokugijima phezu kwegatsha lahluleka ukulawula ibhayisikili. UStockwell wezwa kodokotela ukuthi ulimale emhlane okwakungamvimba ukuqeqeshwa amasonto ambalwa. Naphezu kokwethuka okukhulu, lo msubathi oneminyaka engu-41 ubudala ukwazile ukungenela le midlalo, walala endaweni yesihlanu emqhudelwaneni we-triathlon wabesifazane. Phakathi nonyaka ogcwele izinselelo zomzimba futhi ohlaselwe ubhadane lwe-COVID-19, uStockwell ubonga okwenzeka eTokyo.

"Ngisho, bekuyiMidlalo ehluke kakhulu, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi yenze ukuthi ikhetheke kakhulu," kusho uStockwell Umumo. "Bekungumgubho wezemidlalo, nokuyinto eya eTokyo. Ukuba khona nje, bekumangalisa." (Okuhlobene: Indondo Yokuqala Yegolide ka-Anastasia Pagonis Won Team e-Tokyo Paralympics KumaRekhodi Aqopha Imfashini)

UStockwell, owathola indondo yethusi kuma-2016 Games eRio, uqhudelane emcimbini we-triathlon PTS2 obuseTokyo kuleli hlobo, ne-Allysa Seely yeThimba USA inqobe igolide. Emicimbini yama-Paralympic, abasubathi bahlukaniswe ngezigaba ezahlukahlukene ngokuya ngokukhubazeka kwabo ukuqinisekisa ukuncintisana okulungile nxazonke. UStockwell useqenjini le-PTS2, okungenye yezigaba zabancintisana abasebenzisa i-prosthesis, ngokusho kuka Ezemidlalo ze-NBC.

Emuva ngo-2004, impilo kaStockwell yashintshwa unomphela lapho eba yisosha lesifazane laseMelika lokuqala ukulahlekelwa isitho eMpini yase-Iraq. Imoto yena nophiko lwakhe abebehamba ngayo ishayiswe ibhomu elisemgwaqeni emigwaqeni yase-Iraq. “Ngaphuka umlenze eminyakeni engu-17 edlule, ngaya esibhedlela, futhi ngabona ngempela ukuthi nginenhlanhla kangakanani,” usho kanje. "Ngangizungezwe amanye amasosha alimele kabi kakhulu, ngakho kwakunzima ngami ukuba ngizizwele, futhi nginomuzwa wokuthi lolu hlobo lubeka izinto ngendlela efanele kuzo zonke izici zokuphila kwami. Ingabe ngisenezinsuku ezimbi? Impela, kepha ngiyakwazi ukubheka ngapha nangapha futhi ngibone ukuthi sinenhlanhla engakanani yokuba nezinto esinazo. "

U-Stockwell wayethathe umhlalaphansi ngokokwelashwa eButhweni Lezempi ngo-2005 kulandela ukulimala kwakhe. Uthole ne-Purple Heart, enikezwa labo ababulewe noma abalimele ngenkathi besebenza ebusosheni, kanye ne-Bronze Star, enikezwa ukuphumelela ngobuqhawe, ukusebenza, noma impumelelo enhle noma insizakalo endaweni yokulwa. Ngawo lowo nyaka, waphinde wethulwa kuma-Paralympics nguJohn Register we-U.S. Olympic Committee's Paralympic Military and Veteran Programme, owethula kule Midlalo eWalter Reed Medical Center eMaryland. UStocwell wayewuthakasele umqondo wokumela i-US futhi, kodwa njengomsubathi, ngokusho kuka. Ezemidlalo ze-NBC. Ngo-2008 Beijing Paralympics eminyakeni emithathu nje edlule, u-Stockwell waphendukela emanzini futhi wabhukuda njengengxenye yokuvuselelwa kwakhe e-Walter Reed. (Okuhlobene: Umgibeli weParalympic uJessica Long Ubeke Phambili Impilo Yakhe Yengqondo Ngendlela Entsha Phambi Kwemidlalo YaseTokyo)

UStockwell wagcina ehambile waya eColorado Springs, eColorado ngo-2007 ukuyoqhubeka nokuqeqesha e-US Olympic Training Center eColorado Springs. Ngemuva konyaka, waqokwa eqenjini le-US US Paralympic Swim. Yize engazange athole indondo emidlalweni ka-2008, uStockwell kamuva wagxila kwi-triathlon (umdlalo oqukethe ukugijima, ukuhamba ngebhayisikili nokubhukuda) futhi wabamba indawo eqenjini lokuqala le-para-triathlon leThimba USA ngo-2016. Futhi ngenkathi uStockwell esahamba ukuzinika isikhathi sokugaya ngaphambi kokuthola izinhlelo zakhe zesikhathi esizayo ngemuva kweTokyo, umama wezingane ezimbili ulangazelele ukuchitha isikhathi nezingane zakhe, indodana yakhe uDallas, 6, nendodakazi uMillie, 4, nomyeni wakhe uBrian Tolsma.

“Izikhathi engizikhonzile ngezomndeni wami, futhi kule mpelasonto sikhempile,” usho kanje. "Futhi izinto ezincane njengokuhambahamba uzungeze umakhelwane nomndeni wami nenja. Ukuba sekhaya nokuzungezwa abantu engisondelene nabo kakhulu kwezinto engizithandayo."

Ngaphandle kwalabo abaseduze nabathandekayo, umbutho wezempi uhlala unendawo ekhethekile enhliziyweni kaStockwell. Kuleli hlobo, ube yinxusa lomkhiqizo we-ChapStick - angumlandeli wayo wesikhathi eside, i-BTW - njengoba uhlobo luqhubeka nokunqoba amaqhawe aseMelika. I-ChapStick iphinde ihloniphe futhi isekele abaphenduli bokuqala bezempi ngokusebenzisana ne-Operation Gratitude, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo eyenza abantu baseMelika babonise ukwazisa kwabo ngamasosha, omakadebona, nabaphenduli bokuqala ngezincwadi namaphakheji okunakekela. Lo mkhiqizo usanda kukhipha isethi yezinti ezinomkhawulo (Buy It, $ 6, chapstick.com) equkethe ukufakwa kwefulegi laseMelika nakuzo zonke izinduku ezithengisiwe, iChapStick izonikela ngenduku ku-Operation Gratitude. Ngokwengeziwe, iChapStick (eseke amasosha ase-U.S kusukela ngeMpi Yesibili Yomhlaba) inikele ngama- $ 100,000 ngomkhiqizo nangeminikelo yemali ku-Operation Gratitude, ezosiza ukugcwalisa nokuthumela amaphakheji okunakekela amaqhawe aseMelika.

"Bengingumlandeli we-ChapStick isikhathi eside njengoba ngikhumbula," kusho uStockwell. "Ngihlala nginayo, ihlezi inami, ifana nokuza umbuthano ogcwele ukuze ube yinxusa lomkhiqizo."

Ngomgubho wama-20 kaSepthemba 11, 2001, kusondela, uStockwell ubuye wabheka nokuqina kweMelika nalokho akuhlanganyele nezingane zakhe ezincane. "USepthemba 11 wusuku engilugubha minyaka yonke. Ngicabanga ukuthi ugubha ukuqina kweMelika; ugubha labo bantu baseMelika ukuthi, esikhundleni sokubalekela isakhiwo esivuthayo, bagijimela kuso ukusindisa abantu baseMelika abakubo. Kungathi kuya khombisa i-Pride of America,” usho kanje. "Zingane zami, kusobala ukuthi zineminyaka engu-4 kanye ne-6 ubudala futhi ziyaqala. ukuqonda izinto, kodwa, kaningi ngangokunokwenzeka, ngihlanganyela nazo ngalokho amasosha ethu akwenzayo, esikwenzile, lokho ababekuyo. umfaniswano uzidele ngethemba lokuthi bayabona ukuthi banenhlanhla kangakanani ukuhlala lapho behlala khona."

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