Amputee from 9/11 attacks wins 7 medals at Invictus Games

ORLANDO — Sarah Rudder was on the verge of a key promotion in the U.S. Marines on Sept. 11, 2001, when the terrorist attacks struck and eventually left her without a leg.

Rudder, awaiting her promotion ceremony, was unscathed in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon and able to help others to safety, but two days later, she was not so lucky.

When she returned to the defense complex to help remove remains of victims, her left ankle got stuck in a concrete barrier and was crushed.

By Tuesday, Rudder had won seven medals for Team USA, taking home the first gold medal of the games Monday when she finished first in the lightweight powerlifting competition.

On Tuesday, Rudder won gold in the discus and 100 meters and also took home silver medals in four-minute indoor rowing, shot-put and the 200-meter dash for a two-day total of seven medals.

Excelling at the Invictus Games, which includes nearly 400 wounded and sick servicemen and women from 14 countries around the world, allows Rudder to prove that her injury won’t limit what she can accomplish.