RIO DE JANEIRO -- Fifteen years ago, Melissa Stockwell was a senior at Colorado, wearing her ROTC uniform as she watched the Sept. 11 attacks unfold on television.On Sunday, she will put on a different national uniform, Team USAs, as she competes for gold in the Paralympic triathlon.To hear the national anthem, with my hand over my heart on Sept. 11 -- theres not even a way to really describe the feelings that I would have in that moment, Stockwell said.In 2004, Stockwell lost her left leg to a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq, becoming the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat.Stockwell usually competes with a Never Forget 9/11/01 sticker on her American flag-themed bike. The sticker is just above the handlebars, so she can see it while shes racing.For Sundays race, though, she will have to cover up the sticker to comply with International Paralympic Committee rules. She used some blue electrical tape for the job.We have specific rules regarding what brands can be displayed here in competition, IPC spokesperson Craig Spence said, so that (covering the sticker) is consistent with the rules.Said Stockwell: I know its under there, so Ill be imagining it.Stockwell was a gymnast as a child. Through that, she fell in love with the American flag and the idea of putting on a uniform and representing the U.S. at the Olympic Games.While that dream never materialized, Stockwell found another way to represent her country by joining the Army through ROTC. Three weeks after she was deployed to Iraq in 2004, the Humvee she was riding in hit the bomb.In 2008, Stockwell became the first Iraq War veteran to compete in the Paralympics, swimming in three events. She did not qualify for any finals. She carried the flag for Team USA in the closing ceremony.She won the first of three consecutive paratriathlon world championships in 2010. Then, in 2014, she gave birth to her son, Dallas.She basically had to start over, Stockwells husband, Brian Tolsma, said about her training. She went harder, stronger and faster than Ive ever seen.But now shes back on a global stage. The Rio Games mark the first time paratriathlon is on the program.While in Rio, Stockwell will be away from her son for about 2+ weeks. She shared with her husband that she felt depressed about being away from Dallas for so long, but then she remembered all of the soldiers that leave their children for a year at a time.Stockwell has been awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal. She said she would cherish a Paralympic medal slightly more.I want to be known more for not what happened to me, she said, but what I did with my injury after it happened.Stockwell signs everything Melissa Stockwell USA, said Keri Serota, executive director of the nonprofit Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club that Stockwell co-founded to help athletes with physical disabilities and visual impairments train for triathlons.Tolsma joked that she signs her checks the same way, so people end up referring to her as Mrs. USA.Anywhere she can put a flag, shes just going to do it, Tolsma said. Whether its a rm in her house, her bike or her prosthetic leg, there is an American flag of some sort.She does this, she said, because it might spark a conversation with a bystander about the military and thanking those who have served for their sacrifices. Stockwells sacrifice did not stop her. Instead, she called it added motivation for Sundays race, on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.Somebody over in Iraq didnt want me here anymore and they tk my leg, Stockwell said, but I have the rest of me and here I am competing in Rio at the Paralympic Games, going for the gold.---Kendra Hansey is a journalism student at the University of Georgia. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics.Fake Blue Jays Jerseys . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Toronto Blue Jays Shirts . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity ftball teams. Blue Jays Jerseys 2020 . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively.LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Top receiver Alshon Jeffery sat out Thursdays practice because of a knee injury, meaning the Chicago Bears could be missing two of their most important players on offense when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.With quarterback Jay Cutlers status in doubt because of a sprained right thumb, the Bears (0-2) might also be without their No. 1 option at wide receiver.Jeffery was unable to practice after participating on a limited basis the previous day.Coach John Fox said the Bears are monitoring Jeffery, who was a limited participant on Wednesday, and that it didnt go as well from yesterday to today.Injuries limited Jeffery to nine games last season after he played in all 16 the previous two years, and he was bothered by a strained hamstring in trainingg camp.dddddddddddde is also playing under the franchise tag after he and the Bears were unable to agree to a long-term contract extension.As for Cutler, the Bears havent said he is out, though backup Brian Hoyer has been practicing with the first team. Cutler left Mondays loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.The Bears promoted quarterback Matt Barkley to the active roster and placed linebacker Lamarr Houston on injured reserve on Thursday. Houston tore the ACL in his left knee against the Eagles.The Bears also signed fullback Paul Lasike to the practice squad after releasing him this week.---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '