More than 5,000 supporters, spectators and participants attended The Challenged Athletes Foundation’s 20th Annual Aspen Medical Products San Diego Triathlon Challenge on Oct. 20th.
The event featured nearly 300 challenged athletes from around the country. Two hundred athletes participated side-by-side with able bodied athletes in the 1-mile swim, 44-mile bike and 10-mile run distance triathlon, which raised $1.2 million in support of CAF’s mission to help individuals with physical challenges get involved in sports. The festivities at La Jolla Cove also included the 24 Hour Fitness Tour de Cove cycling marathon where more than 175 participants cycled and raised $79,000; the Kaiser Permanente Thrive-5K Fitness Walk; and the Philadelphia Insurance Kids’ Run.
Funds raised through these events will allow CAF to provide grants for adaptive sports equipment, training and competition expenses so challenged athletes can live active lifestyles and participate in sports.
In addition to several professional athletes and celebrities, CAF also welcomed five survivors from the Boston Marathon bombings, Heather Abbott, Roseann Sdoia, Celeste Corcoran, Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky Downes.
“It is amazing to see how much we have grown over the past 2 decades and how many lives we have been able to positively impact,” Virginia Tinley, CAF executive director, stated in a press release. “I can’t say enough to thank our supporters, sponsors and fundraisers who have made it all possible.”
