Kortney Clemons
Encyclopedia
Kortney Clemons is an American
Paralympic athlete and Iraq War Veteran.
He is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions about American soldiers who lost limbs or suffered paralysis in Iraq, and their way to the 2008 Summer Paralympics
in Beijing.
. He played football, basketball and baseball.
He played junior college football as a cornerback at East Mississippi Community College
before he joined the army.
Clemons is a Purple Heart
recipient. He was serving in the United States Army
from 2001 to 2006.
He was working as a combat medic
in the 1st Cavalry Division.
Clemons lost his leg in Baghdad, Iraq on February 21, 2005, when he and other soldiers were helping a group of soldiers whose car had hit gravel and tipped over. As they were helping, a roadside bomb
exploded, and wounded some and killed others. In the first years since this happened, Clemons has worn a bracelet with the name of three soldiers who lost their lives; 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, Staff Sgt. David Day and Sgt. Jesse Lhotka.
in 2005, and then a Military Sports Camp, which was when he started track and field
training. He first started competing in power lifting, but chose to commit to track and field in 2007.
He is the first Iraq war Veteran to have qualified for the U.S. Paralympic team.
He tried to qualify for the 2008 Summer Paralympics
in Beijing
, but did not make the cut. This is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions. He is now focusing on the 2012 Summer Paralympics
in London.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Paralympic athlete and Iraq War Veteran.
He is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions about American soldiers who lost limbs or suffered paralysis in Iraq, and their way to the 2008 Summer Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
in Beijing.
Early life
Clemons went to high school in Little Rock, MississippiLittle Rock, Mississippi
Little Rock, Mississippi is an unincorporated hamlet in Newton County, Mississippi, at latitude 32.526 and longitude -89.025. It lies along state highway 494 between Union and Meridian. The elevation is 440 feet/134 metres. It was the former site of Beulah Hubbard High School.-Notable...
. He played football, basketball and baseball.
He played junior college football as a cornerback at East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College , also known as East Mississippi Junior College, is a community college system in Mississippi with its headquarters in the Thomas L. Davis, Jr...
before he joined the army.
Military service
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
recipient. He was serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 2001 to 2006.
He was working as a combat medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
in the 1st Cavalry Division.
Clemons lost his leg in Baghdad, Iraq on February 21, 2005, when he and other soldiers were helping a group of soldiers whose car had hit gravel and tipped over. As they were helping, a roadside bomb
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
exploded, and wounded some and killed others. In the first years since this happened, Clemons has worn a bracelet with the name of three soldiers who lost their lives; 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, Staff Sgt. David Day and Sgt. Jesse Lhotka.
Paralympic career
Clemons attended a clinic held by U.S. Paralympics at Brooke Army Medical CenterBrooke Army Medical Center
Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio is part of the United States Army Medical Command. It is a University of Texas Health Science Center and USUHS teaching hospital and contains the Army Burn Center....
in 2005, and then a Military Sports Camp, which was when he started track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
training. He first started competing in power lifting, but chose to commit to track and field in 2007.
He is the first Iraq war Veteran to have qualified for the U.S. Paralympic team.
He tried to qualify for the 2008 Summer Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, but did not make the cut. This is featured in the 2009 documentary Warrior Champions. He is now focusing on the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
in London.
National championships
He won the 100m (T42) at the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, Tempe, Ariz, in 2008.Filmography
- Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to BeijingWarrior Champions: From Baghdad to BeijingWarrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing is a 2009 American documentary film directed by the Renaud Brothers. The films tells the individual stories of four American soldiers who lost limbs or suffered paralysis in Iraq, and of their training to try for a berth on the 2008 U.S...
, a documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by directors Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud.
External links
- Kortney Clemons - Profile at the official website of the U.S. Paralympic Team
- Kortney Clemons: A Paralympian Story on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Kortney Clemons interview NBC News on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Warrior Champions, the official site of the documentary