On Sunday, Team USA sled hockey made history by earning its fifth straight gold medal. Here are five fast facts to get to know Team USA forward Josh Misiewicz.
Former Division III hockey player
Misiewicz played college hockey at Saint Mary's (Minnesota). He left Saint Mary's after two years to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as a machine gunner with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Afghanistan.
Injured in action
In 2011, Misiewicz was injured by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol, resulting in the loss of both legs. He discovered sled hockey during recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan.
3-time Paralympic gold medalist
In his debut Paralympics, Misiewicz won gold with the U.S. sled hockey team in Pyeongchang in 2018. Then in 2022 in Beijing, his four goals and six assists were instrumental in propelling the team to its fourth straight Paralympic gold medal.
Full-time Paralympic athlete
The 37-year-old moved to Nashville, Tennessee, about eight years ago to train full time with USA Hockey.
In his words
"One of the first things I thought about when I got injured was that I'll never play hockey again, so being able to not only continue playing hockey, but being able to play at the Paralympic level, it's the best thing ever."
