More Than Fifty Percent of Para-athletes to Compete at U.S.A. Paratriathlon Nationals Supported by the Challenged Athletes Foundation

Nearly 50 para-athletes will compete on Sunday, September 21 at the 2014 USA Paratriathlon National Championships, held in conjunction with the Life Time Tri Tempe. Of these athletes, more than half have received support from the Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting athletes with physical challenges to get active in sports and physical fitness. Some of the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s athletes competing include four members of the CAF Elite Paratriathlon Team; Mark Barr (a below knee amputee), Jamie Brown (an above knee amputee), Thomas Cain (an above elbow amputee) and Patricia Walsh (a visually impaired athlete).

CAF Elite Paratriathlon Team member Patricia Walsh and her guide complete a race together. (Photo: B ...

CAF Elite Paratriathlon Team member Patricia Walsh and her guide complete a race together. (Photo: Business Wire)

In addition to those competing will be 27-year-old McKayla Hanson. McKayla became an above knee amputee at the age of seven due to cancer. CAF has proudly supported her with financial grants for the past eight years to help her get to this level of competition and athleticism. McKayla is currently attending school to become a prosthetist to give back to other individuals like herself.

The 2014 USA Paratriathlon National Championships will take place at Tempe Town Lake in Tempe, AZ and will have all athletes competing in a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run. The first wave will take off at 6:30 a.m. MT and the Paratriathlon Nationals awards are slated to begin at 10:15 a.m. MT.

The sport of paratriathlon has seen substantial growth since the 2010 IPC announcement that paratriathlon will make its debut at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games. To help prepare athletes for this inaugural appearance, CAF established the CAF Elite Paratriathlon Team, which focuses on developing top performing U.S. paratriathletes and selects members based on past performance in national and international Paratriathlon races, growth potential and their ability to represent CAF’s mission and its sponsors. This team is possible thanks to its sponsors J&L Pie Company, Nike, PowerBar, Rudy Project, XTERRA Wetsuits, Procellera Elite and ISM Saddles.

For more information about CAF and the Elite Paratriathlon Team, visit http://www.challengedathletes.org/CAF_Paratri.

Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a world leader in helping individuals with physical challenges get involved – and stay involved – in sports. CAF believes that participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. Since 1994, more than $55 million has been raised and almost 9,500 funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love. To learn more, log on to www.challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.

Contacts:

Challenged Athletes Foundation
Jenna Novotny
Senior Marketing Manager
858-210-3528
Jenna@challengedathletes.org

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