Army Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks is a combat medic and decorated Paralympic swimmer in the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program — a Pat Tillman ESPY award winner and a member of the Army Women’s Hall of Fame.
She joined the Army in 2008, shortly after her 17th birthday, continuing a family legacy of military service.
While on assignment in Iraq as a combat medic, she sustained bilateral hip injuries. It wasn’t until 2012, almost two years after her injury, while recovering and attempting to be found “fit for duty,” that she discovered a passion for competitive swimming.
Six months later she was accepted into the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and found “fit for duty” as a 68w Combat Medic, fulfilling her goal of returning to military service. Elizabeth credits the support she received from her brothers and sisters in the military as what got her through her injuries and recovery.
“It’s a community that comes together to celebrate what we can do as opposed to what we can’t do … Every day in the pool is a gift. The fact that I get to celebrate that publicly with other Paralympian’s is very, very special,” Marks says.
As a 5-time Paralympic medalist (2 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals) and world record holder, Elizabeth will be representing the United States at the Paris 2024 Paralympic games continuing to push herself and inspire others.
