Josh Sweeney has devoted his life to serving the United States, and now he has two gold medals after competing in his third Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Sweeney had the duty of holding down the first leg of the mixed 4 X 2.5 km nordic skiing race as Team USA won gold in the relay.
Check out Josh's reunion at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and some of the highlights from the games
"I’m going to be honest, I was the most nervous I have ever been for a race," said Sweeney. "It was really neat to be back on the podium and putting USA on top. I wasn’t sure that was something I was capable of doing at these games, so it was a nice surprise."
Sweeney competed in his first Paralympics in Sochi back in 2014, where he scored the game-winning goal for Team USA in sled hockey against the Russians. Sweeney would transition to nordic skiing after he moved to Idaho, and he proceeded to compete in the 2022 games in Beijing.
During these games, Sweeney competed in six races in nine days, including the biathlon, while feeding off the support from the Idaho Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Mission 43.
We met up with Josh at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse to find out how that support helped him secure gold.
RELATED | Adaptive athletes build strength and community at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse in Boise
"I know that they were behind me and that they wanted me to have the best games possible," said Sweeney. "It means a lot, and even coming back here today and seeing them for the first time, I couldn’t help smile rolling into the building— thinking about everyone I was going to see."
Sweeney joined the U.S. Marine Corps straight out of high school, and he lost both his legs after an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009.
However, he was able to continue representing his country through sports, which has included meeting President Obama, winning the Pat Tillman Award for Service, and now— sporting two gold medals.
"It gave me purpose again, it gave me a reason to get up and do things," said Sweeney. "Just be a part of something bigger than myself again, which means the world to me, and being able to represent the United States of America is something I love doing and hope to continue to do for a long time."
ALSO READ | U.S. Women's Hockey team captain Hilary Knight adds to record-setting resume, named Olympic Flagbearer
