The Warrior Games, presented by Deloitte, will be taking place for the third consecutive year in Colorado Springs, United States, from April 30 to May 5, and will be hosted by US Paralympics, the Paralympic division of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Warrior Games is an Olympic-style competition open to all wounded, ill and injured military members and veterans, featuring swimming, basketball and track and field events.

First Lieutenant Melissa Stockwell (pictured second image down) of the US Army and Captain Simon Maxwell of Britain's Royal Marines have both been selected as honorary Torchbearers at the Opening Ceremony.

Stockwell from Chicago is an Iraq veteran while Maxwell from Croydon in England is an Afghanistan veteran.

The pair will light the cauldron together to officially start the event.

"It is an honour to have the First Lady and these two amazing role models as the Torchbearers for the 2012 Warrior Games," said USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.



"We thank them for their support, as well as all of our countrymen and women, for their hard work and sacrifice on behalf of our great nations."

Stockwell was the first US female soldier wounded in Iraq after she lost her left leg above the knee when her convoy vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Baghdad in April 2004.

Following the accident, she took up competitive sport and has become the double Para-triathlon world champion and also competed in swimming at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

"Being able to attend in this manner and being able to represent all of the men and women still in the military and our veterans is a huge honour," said Stockwell.

Maxwell joined the Royal Marines in 2009 after studying history for three years at Nottingham University.

He was deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan in April 2011 where he served as a Troop Commander with Lima Company.

He was wounded on patrol in August of 2011 when he stepped on an IED which led to the loss of his left leg below the knee.

He will compete as a member of the British Armed Forces team, an exhibition team made up of 14 men and four women.


This will be first time that Britain competes at the event.

"It's an honour to be asked to carry the torch," said Maxwell.

"This is a truly special event for injured lads to take part in.

"I'm really excited about the competition ahead."

Stockwell added that she was delighted to see Maxwell and the British troops making their debut at the Warrior Games.

"To be among all my brothers and sisters from the US and the British Armed Forces is humbling," she said.

"Although we wear a different uniform, we all stand for the same values, and to have the British Forces there really adds to the true camaraderie and energy of the event."

The competition is also supported by the Department of Defence, US Department of Veterans Affairs, USO, Fisher House Foundation, The Daniels Fund, AT&T, BP, DeVry, Anheuser Busch and Chobani.

The First Lady will also lead the US delegation at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on July 27.

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April 2012: British troops invited to take part in Warrior Games
December 2011: Warrior Games to return to Colorado Springs in 2012