Heath Calhoun (born June 29, 1979) is an American
alpine skier
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
and veteran of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, who achieved the rank of staff sergeant. A double-leg amputee due to injuries received in the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
, Calhoun uses a
sit-ski
Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. The sport evolved from the efforts of disabled veterans in Germany and Austria during and after the Second World War. The sport is governed by the Intern ...
in competitions.
Born in
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in the State of Tennessee. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. T ...
, Calhoun, a native of
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, Buchanan County, Virginia, United States, an area located within the Appalachian Mountains region. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is home to the Appalachian School of Law. The popu ...
, graduated from
Grundy Senior High School in 1997. After earning an
associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of Tertiary education, post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelo ...
from
Southwest Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) is a public community college in Cedar Bluff. It is part of the Virginia Community College System. SWCC was opened in 1968 to serve the residents of Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell counties, as wel ...
in 1999, he joined the U.S. Army, as his father and grandfather had done.
Upon his enlistment, he was sent to
Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
, where he completed
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
,
airborne
Airborne or Airborn may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis
* ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film
* ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
, and
Ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
training. He was sent to serve in Iraq as a
squad leader in the
101st Airborne Division. While riding in a convoy, his
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ...
was struck by a
rocket-propelled grenade. The explosion killed one soldier and severely damaged Calhoun's legs, necessitating the amputation of both limbs above the knee. He spent the next nine months recuperating at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC)known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, it se ...
.
Five months after his injury, Calhoun tried skiing for the first time at a sports clinic in
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States Census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Moun ...
. In 2008, he moved to Aspen to begin training seriously for international alpine skiing competitions. At the 2009 U.S. Adaptive Alpine National Championships, he took second place in the sit-ski
slalom and first in the sit-ski
super G. He was selected for the U.S. alpine skiing team at the
2010 Winter Paralympics in
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Calhoun is a spokesperson for the
Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an American charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans of the military actions following September 11, 2001. It operates as a nonprofit ...
and for
Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics. He is also involved with the
Amputee Coalition of America
The Amputee Coalition is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. The Amputee Coalition's mission is to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve their full potential through education, support and adv ...
as a peer counselor. Calhoun, who lives in
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 202 ...
, has three children; a son and two daughters.
The 2010
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
spring race at
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Known as ...
has been named the "
Heath Calhoun 400" in his honor, following a contest in which fans were asked to nominate and vote for military members who had performed a "selfless act".
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Heath
1979 births
Living people
People from Bristol, Tennessee
People from Grundy, Virginia
United States Army non-commissioned officers
United States Army personnel of the Iraq War
American amputees
American male alpine skiers
Paralympic alpine skiers of the United States
Alpine skiers at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Alpine skiers at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Medalists at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Paralympic medalists in alpine skiing
Paralympic silver medalists for the United States