The 2024 Olympics in Paris have been in the media for many things other than what we’ve seen in the past. Traditionally, coverage seems to be about which country achieves what medals. This year, we’ve seen many topics covered in mainstream media that have nothing to do with medals; i.e., pole vaulting, women’s boxing, and the introduction of breakdancing as an Olympic sport.
This year, the U.S. has 10 members from the Army participating across several sports in different capacities, and these athletes are going above and beyond by serving our country and training full-time to become Olympic greats. Seven of these soldiers are competing in various events, including shooting, rugby, track and field, and wrestling.
The Service Member competitors
Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier and Staff Sgt. Will Hinton – These two soldiers, competing in the Olympic Trap category, are both members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Moore, GA.
Sgt. Sagen Maddalena and Sgt. Ivan Roe – Two more soldiers from the Army Marksmanship, competing in the 50m Smallbore and 10m Air Rifle shooting events, have both competed in previous international competitions, including Sgt. Maddalena, who had a near-podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Capt. Samantha K. Sullivan – transitioned from a high-school soccer star to a Women’s Rugby Olympian. Her foray into Rugby began during her education at West Point.
Staff Sgt. Leonard E. Korir – Korir is a veteran marathon runner, and will be competing in the Track and Field – Marathon category in Paris. He has previous experience in the Olympic and World Championships.
Spc. Kamal Bey – Bey qualified for a place on the Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympic Team, but initially lost his spot. After the exclusion of other athletes, Bey was reallocated a place on the team, giving him a chance to compete in Paris. Bey previously won Gold at the 2023 Pan American Games.
In addition, two soldiers, Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher and Sgt. 1st Class Spenser Mango, are serving as coaches for the U.S. Modern Pentathlon and Wrestling teams, respectively.
Three more soldiers will compete in the Paralympics
Sgt. 1st Class John Wayne Joss III and Staff Sgt. Kevin Nguyen – Both of these competitors in the Shooting -R6 50m Rifle Prone SH1 category. SFC Joss joined the Army World Class Athlete Program after a combat injury. SSG Nguyen suffered a severe injury during a deployment, but his dedication to success and the sport secured him a sport in the 2024 Paralympics.
Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks – Competing in Paralympic swimming, Marks is a world record holder, with recent success and achievements at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and the Citi Para Swimming World Series.
These fantastic examples of dedication and resilience deserve to be highlighted in the media. We should all do our part and share their dynamic stories and help inspire every generation watching the Olympics and Paralympics to focus on what these events were meant to do; bring the world together and give us heroes to root for.
