Elizabeth Marks

Ellie (espn.com, 14 Jul 2016; Facebook profile, 09 Apr 2020)

Her father James Marks. (teamusa.org, 01 Oct 2016)

She fell ill in September 2014 while travelling to the Invictus Games in London, England, which resulted in her being hospitalised and put on life support for 10 days. She woke up in the same hospital in Germany that she had been medically evacuated to from Iraq four years earlier. The illness resulted in a neurological impairment, decreased lung capacity, and a further reduction of mobility in her legs. She returned to training in December 2014. (teamusa.org, 03 Mar 2016; belvoireagle.com, 26 Feb 2015)

"When I step onto the blocks, I never think, 'I want to win'. I think, 'I want to pour all of myself into this race because there are people who can't physically, mentally or emotionally do that'. So it's my way of performing for them." (espn.com, 14 Jul 2016)

In 2016 she won the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly [ESPY] Awards in the United States of America. (hollywoodlife.com, 13 Jul 2016)

She won a bronze medal in handcycling at the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America. (wtc.armylive.dodlive.mil, 14 May 2013)

In April 2010 she sustained injuries to both hips while on assignment in Iraq as a combat medic for the US Army. She underwent three operations to restructure her hips. An illness in 2012 caused a further reduction in mobility in her legs and decreased her lung capacity, which can lead to disorientation and vision issues when she is swimming. After once again falling ill in 2014 she experienced further complications that led to her experiencing chronic pain. In 2017 she decided to have her left leg amputated below the knee. "It was painful, but compared to what I'd been living in it was a relief. It was kind of shocking that it had been so long that I'd been in pain I didn't really recognise it. I got emotional because immediately after the surgery, I felt so much better." (teamusa.org, 12 Dec 2018, 03 Mar 2016; ftgordonsignal.com, 04 Oct 2013)

EARLY DAYS
She grew up in Prescott Valley, AZ, United States of America, and as a teenager she struggled to find a goal in life. She joined a military-based educational programme sponsored by the US Army, where mentors provided her with structure and a support system that eventually inspired her to join the military at age 17. She served as a combat medic in Iraq, where she got injured, and later became a competitive swimmer in the US Army's World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson in Colorado. "The Army has afforded me the ability to have a family and a network of people that trust. I think there are a lot of kids that deserve those chances." (army.mil, 17 Oct 2017)

LONDON REUNION
She was cheered on by the critical care team of Royal Papworth Hospital at the 2019 World Championships in London, England. They had looked after her in 2014 when she fell critically ill ahead of the Invictus Games in the same city. She donated the four gold medals she won at the 2016 Invictus Games to the team at Royal Papworth as a mark of her gratitude. "If not for the people of Papworth Hospital I wouldn't get the chance to compete in a final [where she won a gold medal in the S7 100m backstroke at the 2019 World Championships]." (redlandscommunitynews.com, 01 Nov 2019; people.com, 13 Sep 2019; royalpapworth.nhs.uk, 13 Sep 2019)

TATTOOS
The tattoos on her right leg present an image of her life story. They include a large, wounded crow that represents her, and a red cross that symbolises her work as a combat medic in the army. The tattoos cover some of her scars, but she still leaves some exposed, and refuses make-up to cover them. "I earned them, so I'm going to wear them." (telegraph.co.uk, 13 Sep 2016; espn.com, 14 Jul 2016)

DELEGATION
In March 2018 she was a member of a Presidential Delegation from the United States of America that attended the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. "It's an absolute honour. I can't believe they're allowing me to come support my country and my brothers and sisters. It's just an honour." (teamusa.org, 08 Mar 2018)