ARTIFACT IN ACTION: Before 1984, no U.S. women’s indoor volleyball team had ever stood on an Olympic podium. That changed in Los Angeles.   With a commanding win over Peru, Team USA advanced to the gold medal match—and came home with silver. It was more than a medal. It was a turning point. The team’s performance helped spark a national movement in the sport, inspiring generations of athletes and elevating volleyball at the collegiate and professional levels. Volleyballs from the 1984 Summer Games are now displayed in the Summer Games Gallery. What artifact should we put in motion next?   #OlympicCityUSA #TakePart #TeamUSA #Paralympics #Olympics #Volleyball #LA1984 #ColoradoSprings #Colorado #ColoradoSpringsCO (fb)

Jill Bakken served her country on and off the ice. As a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, she piloted the bobsled that carried Vonetta Flowers to Olympic history at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games—earning the first Winter Games gold medal ever won by a Black athlete. https://ow.ly/9Nki50VZn5R This Military Appreciation Month, we honor athletes like Jill whose commitment to service reaches far beyond sport. Explore more powerful stories of service and competition during our Military Appreciation Month Specialty Tour, offered all May long. (fb)