Cheer on some hometown heroes from Colorado as they compete in this summer’s 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

The Paralympics begin Wednesday, August 28 and end on Sunday, September 8.

Click on the athlete names to view their Team USA profile.

John Joss

Paralympic Shooting • Colorado Springs

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class John Joss has been shooting for Team USA for over a decade, calling Colorado Springs home since 2019. Joss lost a portion of his right leg in 2007 while caught in an ambush overseas. He is a two-time Paralympian and currently holds the national record in the R6-Mixed 50m Free Rifle Prone SH1.

Elizabeth Marks

Paralympic Swimming • Colorado Springs

Swimmer Elizabeth Marks is a sergeant 1st class in the U.S. Army. She sustained bilateral hip injuries while in Iraq as a combat medic and it wasn’t until two years later that she began competitive swimming. She is also the Military Times’ 2024 Soldier of the Year.

Josh O’Neill

Wheelchair Rugby • Colorado Springs

Josh O’Neill has been playing wheelchair rugby for 12 years. This will be his first Paralympics although he has multiple accolades in the sport including a 2023 Parapan American gold medal and a silver at the world championships in 2022.

Howie Sanborn

Paratriathlon • Denver

Howie Sanborn is a retired U.S. Army Airborne Ranger who was also on the U.S. Army Parachute Team “The Golden Knights.” He was a triathlete while serving in the U.S. Army. In 2012, Sanborn had a cycling accident that resulted in paralysis below his waist. According to USA Triathlon, he currently lives in Colorado Springs.

Melissa Stockwell

Paratriathlon • Colorado Springs

Melissa Stockwell graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army post-graduation in 2002. In 2004, while deployed in Iraq, she lost her left leg after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. She and her husband have a prosthetics practice in Colorado Springs called TS Prosthetics.

Jataya Taylor

Wheelchair Fencing • Denver

Jataya Taylor found wheelchair fencing through the VA near her Colorado home, according to Gray DC. This was only a couple years ago, and she is now headed to her first Paralympics. Taylor is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was injured in a pair of training accidents.

In addition:

• Kyle Coon – Paratriathlon – Carbondale

• Hailey Danz – Paratriathlon – Colorado Springs

• Beatriz Hatz – Paralympic Track & Field – Lakewood

• Jack O’Neil – Paralympic Swimming – Colorado Springs

• Morgan Stickney – Paralympic Swimming – Colorado Springs