Stockwell was deployed to Iraq in 2004.
During her deployment, her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, and Stockwell lost her leg.
She became the first female veteran to lose a limb during active deployment.
At the time, she competed in swimmingbut eventually became the triathlete she is today.
“We say, ‘The finish line is just the beginning for our athletes.’
We want them to see how much ability is in their disability.”
(Learn more here!)
We applied for the grant, and they chose us to be one of the grants for this year.
We’re very humbled to receive it," she says.
mindbodygreen: How did you start doing triathlons?
Melissa Stockwell:I started out swimming, and I loved to swim.
The water had this healing effect.
It made me feel whole again.
Then I moved to the sport of triathlon.
I was invited to do one, my first one, in 2009.
I used to think triathletes were crazy.
I mean,swim, bike, and runwho wants to do all that all at the same time?
But once I did it, I fell in love with it.
I loved the challenge of all three sports.
I loved the challenge of the different prosthetic legs I had to wear.
And I got to be on the same course as able-bodied athletes with all their limbs.
So, I just kind of fell in love with it and fell in love with the triathlon community.
I’ve been going strong for 15 years now.
It’s a huge part of my life.
mindbodygreen: With Dare2Tri, you’re obviously passionate about bringing other people into the sport.
What about the sport is so empowering, especially for disabled athletes?
They would look at me like I’m crazy.
They’d say, “Oh, I could never do that.”
Theycan, of course, but people don’t give themselves enough credit.
It has to be a specialized bike.
mbg: I want to pivot to how you train and how you take care of yourself.
Let’s start with the mental aspecthow do you mentally prepare for big events?
Even something as big as the Olympics?
Stockwell:The mental part is just as important as the physical part, especially when you’re racing.
You just have to trust that you’ve put in the work day after day.
You have to trust that it’s been enough.
And the mental part isn’t just on race day or for big eventsit’s every single day.
The older I get, the more I realize that you’re going to have ups and downs.
It’s just a matter of managing them.
mbg: What meals help you feel strongest?
Stockwell:It’s all in moderation, right?
Then we can be ready for the next day of training.
My go-to snacks after a big workout are things like yogurt, peanut-butter-filled pretzels, or yogurt and granola.
At night, it’s tricky.
I have two kids.
It’s about trying to find the balance between meals that are healthy for me and that they enjoy.
But it’s a lot of chicken and rice or tacos.
Really whatever we can find that’s delicious and nutritious.
I do have a sweet tooth.
But again, it’s in moderation.
mbg: Speaking of helping your body repair and rebuild, do you have a recovery routine?
Stockwell:Recovery is the thing that typically gets cut when I don’t have time.
mbg: How do you wind down at night?
Stockwell:Sleeping’s hard.
I struggle with it, and I know a lot of people struggle with it.
Before a big competition, I know I’m not going to be sleeping.
So, having one or two bad nights of sleep won’t really matter.
After the race is when I’ll get that makeup sleep.
And I really make a run at take that approach with sleep every night.
I let my husband know that if the kids come in, they’re all yours.
Sleep adds up, so it’s just about trying just to verify I get that recovery.
mbg: I’ve been talking to a lot of athletes about resilience.
I really wanted to ask you this question because you’re clearly a very resilient person.
How do you build that resilience in yourself?
I lost a leg, and I’ve ended up better on the other side.
Before, I would have never thought that that would be possible.
The thing is, they just don’t know because they haven’t been put in that situation.
But the answer isyes, they could do it.
So, I think resilience is built through having hard times, having obstacles, and having failures.
So, therefore, we can make it through again.
I think that’s what built resilience.
mbg: I love asking about teammates.
You’re in somewhat of a solo sport, but you have a team you train with.
So, what makes a good teammate?
Stockwell:My teammates are what keep me going.
They are my second family.
We’re together hours a day.
I think a good teammate is someone that picks you up when you’re down.
That always wants the best for you.
My teammates make me a better person.
I think that’s a big part of being a teammateboth on and off the racecourse.
We push each other to be better in all aspects of our lives.
mbg: What advice do you have for young athletes, especially young women athletes?
Stockwell:Dream big.
Never let someone tell you that you might’t do something until you get out there and try it.
And I don’t think there’s any such thing as a sport where women can’t do it.
Find what you’re passionate about.
I think young girls and women will recognize pretty quickly the positive impact it has on their lives.
And find good teammatesfind the people that you rely on and make you a better all-around person.
