Stone made history as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Archery Team, winning its first-ever medal at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. Stone, along with teammates Jeff Fabry (Tulare, Calif.) and Aaron Cross (St. Cloud, Minn.), captured a bronze in the team competition after defeating Great Britain, 231-212.

“That was hard to do; the Brits are our friends—literally,” said Stone. “We had to shoot against our buds, but we also knew that we had a job to do, and that was to bring home a medal. So we went out there and beat them with authority.”

Stationed in California with the U.S. Army 7th Infantry, Stone was accustomed to living on the edge—risking his life to ensure the safety of Americans.

But he was not expecting what would happen next.

In 1985, Stone suffered a traumatic brain injury and broke several vertebrate in his back after a tragic vehicle accident following a military training exercise. The driver lurched off a cliff after misjudging a highland pass. Stone was ejected from the truck and crushed by the vehicle as it landed.

The sudden end to Stone’s military career left him with limited use of his legs and a feeling of emptiness that seemed impossible to fill.

“It was devastating,” Stone said. “I was expected to be able to do phenomenal tasks. I went from jumping out of helicopters to lifting myself out of the Lazy Boy chair. My career ended too young. To be permanently retired [from the military] at the age of 25 was unacceptable.”

Through a troubling one-and-a-half years of initial rehabilitation, surgeries and heavy medication, Stone’s outlook on life developed into something quite different. In 1987, he joined a veterans’ rehabilitation program at Adrian College in Michigan, where he earned a degree in art and was a candidate for a second degree in music.

“The vocational rehabilitative side of the program was my saving grace,” Stone said. “My mind stayed active and I was able to pursue degrees in art and music.”

Even though extremely talented in the arts, it would be Stone’s athletic endeavors that would take him across the world. Stone competed in billiards, shooting and archery at the Veterans Wheelchair Games. Stone’s performance earned him an invitation to attend an archery camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif in 2002. The coaches there saw his potential and predicted that he would be ready for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

For Stone, that wasn’t soon enough. It would be Athens, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, where Stone would exceed expectations and serve his country once again—this time as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Archery Team.

Although Stone’s archery performance continued to improve, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) became a roadblock on his path to Athens. Stone would have to reduce his medications significantly to comply with USADA requirements.

“That was horrendous,” said Stone. “My doctors told me I might stroke out if I tried to comply with USADA. They said it could be detrimental if not done properly. I quietly, and without medical supervision, weaned myself off all my medications. There was a six-week withdrawal period when I became very ill.”

Stone’s self-motivation led him through the painful struggle, and it paid off with flying colors.

“Things worked on me that hadn’t worked in years,” said Stone. “I was experiencing more function, muscle tone, memory, alertness, vision—it was an amazing transformation. I wouldn’t trade the life I’m in now for the comfortable, drugged-up life ever again.”

In Athens, Stone went head-to-head with top-seed Hong Gu Lee of Korea in the men’s individual-W2 archery division, battling it out against the eventual gold medalist. The loss was overshadowed by Stone’s move from 29th seed to finishing eighth in the world.

“I went up against the number-one guy and had the best shoot of my life,” Stone said. “I had him [Hong Gu Lee] sweating. If you’re going to get beat by anybody, it might as well be the best guy out there.”

Despite not winning an individual medal, Stone and his teammates landed where no U.S. Paralympic archers had been before—on the medal stand at the 2004 Paralympic Games.

“I felt so much pride as my flag was raised before me,” Stone said. “I never thought I would see that happen—not me personally.”

Back in Cookeville, Stone and his dog Jonah are preparing for the upcoming 2005 IPC Archery World Championships Sept. 25-Oct. 2 in Massa-Carrara, Italy.

“This dog has been my service dog for the past 10 years,” Stone said. “Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of the things I have done. I really believe that. I even took him to the White House on our [Paralympic Team] visit.”

Stone and Jonah are a presentation demonstration team for Paws with a Cause, a leader in training assistance dogs for people with disabilities. They are a rehabilitative success story, speaking to groups as large as 20,000, performing television spots for Universal and meeting many famous people along the way.

“My dog enjoys quite a bit of fame,” Stone said. “He’s probably the only K-9 that is permanently on the VIP list at Hard Rock Hotel shows. He’s got the hook up. I just follow along!”

Stone continues shooting about 400 arrows a day in addition to cardio and weight training. Following Beijing, Stone hopes to shape young minds as an assistant coach of a college team while working as an associate professor in art or music.

“The only limitations you have are the ones that you place upon yourself,” Stone said.