As a sophomore in college, Kelly Elmlinger enlisted as an Army medic, serving ten years with the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Unit. She served three back-to-back combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

She was then assigned to a special mission unit and, and at the same time, earned her degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina. After graduation, she moved to Texas and joined the Army’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Her personal mission was to help wounded warriors recover from catastrophic injuries.

In 2013, Elmlinger began experiencing pain in her lower left leg. After a round of tests, she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer. After several surgeries in an attempt to save her leg, she made the decision to have it amputated.

But Kelly Elmlinger would not be stopped. She began to compete in adaptive sports - running, swimming, rowing. By 2020, she was competing as a Paralympian at the Games in Tokyo. In 2021, she claimed her first title of World Champion at the World Triathlon Para Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Interview recorded on November 2, 2023

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Video Credits:
Interviewer - Greg Corombos
Director of Photography - Jon Hambacker
Editor - Daniel Taksas

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