Army Staff Sergeant Heath Calhoun served in Iraq as an Squad Leader with the 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. On Nov. 7, 2003, he was severely injured when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle, resulting in the amputation of both his legs above the knee.
After graduating from Grundy Senior High School in VA in 1997, he joined the Army.

While recovering from his injuries and learning to walk on prosthetics, Heath was introduced to adaptive skiing. Since 2008 his talents have taken him to several national and world championships. SGT Heath competed in the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi where he earned a silver medal in Alpine Skiing. He was the subject of the 2010 documentary The Fall Line.

“After my accident, when I learned to ski, it was the first time I felt whole again, like I had my legs back,” reflected Heath. “I could ski across and down the slopes just like everyone else could.”

SSG Calhoun is a spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project and for Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics.

SSG Calhoun lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. He has three children, a son and two daughters.