The 25-year-old swimmer, who is also an active duty Army staff sergeant, said she felt giving the medal back was the only way she could really say thank you to Papworth Hospital staff, who she credits with saving her life.
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During the 2014 Invictus Games, Elmlinger’s first foray into the competition, she earned gold medals in the 100-meter and 400-meter wheelchair races, the shot put, and in the cycling time trial; silver medals in discus during track and field, the cycling road race, and the 50-meter backstroke in swimming.
“So, Marks explained, she chose to give Harry one of the medals she’s won at the games in the hopes that it will find its way back to Papworth”.
Sgt Marks, from Arizona, had been in London for the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014 when she was taken gravely ill and was treated by a team from Papworth who had to put her in an induced coma to aid her recovery.
“They absolutely saved my life and I can’t thank the United Kingdom enough”, she told the BBC.
Claire Tripp, Papworth’s temporary chief executive, was “delighted” by Marks’ achievement and gift, while Roger Hall, the hospital’s medical director, described her donation as “generous and unexpected”.
“You’re dealing with competitors, and I think it’s a great outlet for them to come out, to be able to compete in sport, to be able to be on the main stage”.
Marks, an Army combat medic, suffered a serious hip injury while serving in Iraq in 2010.
Prince Harry told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in March that the trip holds “very, very happy memories” for him.
The Invictus Games are an worldwide Paralympic-style, multisport event created by Great Britain’s Prince Harry in 2014 after he saw the Warrior Games in the United States.
The Paralympic-style 2016 Invictus Games kicked off Sunday in Orlando, Florida, in the United States, and concluded Thursday.
Over 500 athletes from 15 countries are competing in the rehabilitative sports in Orlando.
Ko was on hand in Orlando, Florida this week for the Invictus Games – a Paralympic-style event for wounded war veterans and servicemen and women hosted by Prince Harry himself.
By Tuesday, Rudder already had won seven medals for Team USA, taking home the first gold medal of the games on Monday when she finished first in the lightweight powerlifting competition.
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He painted a picture of the games in numbers: “Four days, 10 sports, 13 support dogs, 14 nations, 149 events, 410 medals, 485 competitors, 836 volunteers, 1,008 friends and family, hundreds of hours of gruelling competition – and more smiles, tears, hugs and cheers than you could ever count”.
