Joshua Sweeney

Joshua Sweeney (born June 6, 1987) is an American gold medal ice sled hockey player and Purple Heart recipient who competed in 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.

Early life Sweeney's passion for hockey began at an early age, as he played ice hockey during middle school & competed in his high school team. as a scout sniper to Nowzad, Afghanistan.

On October 28, 2009, while on patrol duty, Sgt. Sweeney was injured when he stepped on an IED. The blast severed both his legs & caused injury to his left hand & arm. He had to wait 2 hours to be evacuated.

Paralympic career In 2014, Sweeney joined Paralympic sled hockey team and lost 2–1 to the Russians. Couple of days later, he scored the only goal with which his team won a gold medal in a final against the same country. In 2022, Sweeney competed in Beijing in Para-nordic skiing making him a two-time Paralympian. A native of Arizona, he lives in Nampa, Idaho.