Cpl. Joseph Woodke

Joey served in Helmand Province, Afganistan, and in March 2011, while on foot patrol, he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost both of his legs and damaged his ear. The following year he endured several surgeries for his legs and ear at Walter Reed Medical Center.

In 2015, Joey moved from his home town in Michigan to Middle Tennessee where several friends he met in recovery had settled.

Joey and his friends joined the Sled Preds hockey team.  They soon made the national hockey team and set their sights on the 2022 paralymics in Beijing. Then, in March, while competing in Beijing, their team won the Gold Medal.