U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), announced that U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, Medal of Honor recipient, has been selected as the torchbearer for the 2011 Warrior Games Opening Ceremony on May 16 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I am really excited that I was asked to do this, it is truly an honor for me to kickoff such an amazing competition with so many amazing people,” Giunta stated in a press release. “All of the competitors have faced adversity in some shape or form and the fact that they have overcome it to not only compete at this event, but live full, quality lives is awesome.”
Giunta, who has served in the U.S. Army for almost 8 years, became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. He was cited for having saved the lives of members of his squad on Oct. 25, 2007 while deployed in Afghanistan. He exposed himself to enemy fire in order to pull a soldier back to cover when their platoon came under attack.
“It is a privilege to have Staff Sgt. Giunta as the torchbearer for the 2011 Warrior Games,” Scott Blackmun, chief executive officer of USOC, stated. “He is a true hero who is a role model not only for those taking part in this competition, but for all people in the United States.”
