Marine Corps Veteran Aiming for Third Gold in Paralympic Winter Games

Marine Corps veteran Travis Dodson’s life changed in a flash – literally – when a grenade exploded in Iraq, killing his battle buddy and severing both his legs. 

As an athlete, Dodson struggled to adapt to life as a disabled veteran, until he found a new passion, sled hockey. Dodson dove into mastering the sport, earned a spot on the Team USA paralympic sled hockey team and became a two-time gold medalist. 

With the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games set to begin in Milan, Italy, on March 6, Dodson hopes to lead a powerful American squad back to a third-consecutive gold medal, after claiming the top spot in 2018 and 2022. 

In recent years, Dodson, from Deming, New Mexico, has used his platform as a decorated military veteran and paralympic athlete to promote adaptive sports across the U.S. 

Adjusting to Life After Loss 

After becoming a double amputee, Dodson tried different adaptive sports while attending the University of Illinois. He became good enough to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Games, competing in cross-country skiing and the biathlon. But at age 29, he decided to give para ice hockey a try and soon fell in love with the sport. 

Now 40, with three paralympic winter games under his belt, Dodson helps younger disabled athletes transition to adaptive sports. 

Dodson was forced to adapt to a new way of life in February 2007 when a grenade detonated about three feet from him, blasting off one leg from the hip and the other below the knee. His unit’s radio operator, Daniel Morris, did not survive the blast. 

Somewhat amazingly, Dodson remained conscious after the attack, looked down at his body and saw the grenade’s destruction. A medical corpsman tended to Dodson, keeping him awake until he was airlifted to a hospital. He received a Purple Heart for his service. 

“Really just being lucky, you know, to have a hand grenade go off probably a meter, meter and a half away from you and then to survive that is obviously in and of itself just pretty lucky and amazing,” Dodson told sports reporter Simone Eli. “You know, my good friend Morris, he wasn’t so lucky. He died during that same explosion.” 

Dodson spent months recovering, which was both physically and emotionally exhausting. Mentally, Dodson went into a shell but was finally pulled out with support from his parents, other veterans and help from therapists. 

“When I was first injured, it was tough. I just didn’t want to go out in public, I felt uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable with myself and my body being injured this way,” Dodson said. “So, if people had just let me go off and stay in my room all day, I probably would have done it. But they were like, ‘Nope, you’re coming out. You’re going to do this.’”

New Calling with Adaptive Sports 

Competing in the 2014 winter games, Dodson got a thirst for paralympic competition. Switching over to para ice hockey, he made the Team USA roster in 2018 and hasn’t looked back. 

“Adaptive sports … kind of really kept me maybe from kind of losing it, honestly,” Dodson said.

At 40, Dodson is the elder statesman among his American teammates. But with a highly competitive squad with solid camaraderie, even first-time Paralympians should be able to contribute to the team’s success. 

Away from the ice, Dodson mentors disabled children, encouraging them to get involved in adaptive sports and pursue their own athletic dreams. 

“There’s a lot of young kids that are the same. Either they were born that way or they’ve been recently injured, and they’re trying sled hockey, and they see us, and that’s what they want to aspire to be,” Dodson said. “So, we’re trying to help them and kind of help the next younger generation of disabled athletes get to as far as they can.” 

As for the next couple of weeks, anticipating a competitive field in Milan, Dodson and his teammates will focus on retaining their top spot on the podium.