The U.S. State Department announced that Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will lead the U.S. delegation to the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The games will run from March 7-16.
Since losing both her legs in 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was flying while on a mission over Baghdad, Iraq, Duckworth has completed two marathons as part of the Achilles Freedom Team, which mainly comprises wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Last November, Duckworth testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in favor of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
“It is a tremendous honor to be part of the Paralympic games with such heroic athletes,” said Duckworth. “The athletes of the Paralympic games are an inspiration for the disabled citizens of the world and an example of what we can accomplish.”
