Kionte Storey, Athlete (2015)

Kionte Storey grew up in Stockton, California in foster homes. He was adopted at the age of 18 and enlisted soon thereafter into the Marines. He served two tours, one in Iraq and the second in Afghanistan. During a raid in Helmand Province, he was the 12th person through a narrow hallway and stepped on an IED, suffering the loss of his right leg, major trauma to the left leg including permanent nerve damage, traumatic brain injury and PTSD along with addiction to his drugs and recurring thoughts of suicide. One day, as he was going through mobility exercises on his new prosthetic leg, a track coach noticed him and asked if he had ever run track before. Kionte hadn't, but that one question changed his life. He vowed to be the best that he could be and now has a full-time night job at the FBI and trains during the day each day towards his goal of gaining a slot on the International Paralympic Team. He wants to travel the world and help others to overcome their challenges and be the best that they can be.