The Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Dodge/CAF Paratriathlon Camp, an official technical training camp of USA Paratriathlon, helped 19 paratriathletes take the first steps toward the 2016 Paralympics, when the sport will be added to the program at the Rio Games.
Participating campers honed their technical abilities with assistance from leading triathlon experts. Athletes were taught how to get the most out of training, how to practice proper nutrition and how to race effectively and efficiently and reach their goals in the sport. Among the participants were nine members of Challenged Athletes Foundation’s (CAF) Operation Rebound program, which assists permanently injured military and first responders.
“It was a thrill to be a part of the camp again this year,” Jon Beeson, former ITU world champion and co-chairman, USA Paratriathlon Committee, stated in a press release.
Athletes had access and instruction from some of the best paratriathlon coaches in the sport, including: Sergio Borges, Mark Sortino and John Murray and Peter Harsch, chief prosthetist for Naval Medical Center San Diego.
The coaching staff was rounded out by 2009 Ironman world champion in the handcycle division, Jason Fowler and four-time U.S. Paralympian in wheelchair racing, Scot Hollonbeck. World-class challenged athlete mentors Sarah Reinertsen, Paul Martin, Amy Dodson and Beeson, also took part in coaching.
“What makes these camps special is that we couple the expertise of elite coaches with the real-world experiences of world champion mentors, so our participants do no have to reinvent the wheel,” Roy Perkins, senior director of programs, CAF, stated in a press release. “This greatly accelerates their progress and allows our athletes to quickly overcome any apprehensions they may have about the sport.”
