The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and USA Triathlon-certified triathlon coaches have partnered to create a premiere paratriathlon camp that will take the skills and abilities of amputee paratriathletes to the next level.
The 3-day camp is being held Aug. 19-22 in San Diego where camp attendees will be tutored by elite coaches like Paul Huddle, Sergio Borges, Mark Sortino and Peter Harsch. Also helping the camp attendees hone their skills will be elite CAF athlete mentors like 2010 USA Paratriathlon National Champions “One Arm” Willie Stewart and Sandy Dukat, and former two-time World Champion Jon Beeson – co-chairman of the USA Paratriathlon Committee.
“As coaches we are delighted to get the opportunity to coach and broaden the horizons of these paratriathletes,” Harsch, a nine-time Ironman finisher who is also a board-certified prosthetist, stated in a press release. “By applying the techniques that have been developed by our topflight instructors over the years for their successful clientele – including Ironman World Champions and top international competitors – our campers can excel and make triathlon a sport for life.”
Participants will receive valuable classroom and technical instruction in a variety of areas, including: building and executing a training plan; pre-race, mid-race and post-race nutrition; paratriathlon rules and tips; choosing the proper prosthetic equipment; swimming techniques and form; bike setup, fit and technique; and, proper running technique and form.
“By picking up all the costs, CAF and its partners are keeping the dream alive for so many paratriathletes who would not otherwise be able to attend,” Stewart, stated. “Believe me, I’ve been to a lot of camps for a lot of sports, and oftentimes great athletes are left on the sidelines because they don’t have the resources required to get there. Thanks to CAF, these athletes will have a unique, unprecedented opportunity to learn and progress with the help of some of the best multisport coaches in the world.”
This camp is also an important element in part of a much larger movement to increase participation in the sport of triathlon and get it included in the Paralympic Games.
“The sport of Paratriathlon is on the verge of something special and both the USA Paratriathlon Committee and the CAF have been at the forefront of that goal: The official inclusion of the sport in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” Beeson stated. “Since 1996, CAF has been helping to create role models for the world and now this first ever CAF Paratriathlon Camp will provide instructional and inspirational opportunities that will help disabled athletes get involved in the greatest sport on the planet.”
