The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), established in 1997, assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges, so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events. It is founded in the belief that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. The Foundation does this by providing funding for training, competition,
rehabilitation, and
equipment
Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool
A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by ...
for the challenged athletes.
The Challenged Athletes Foundation is divided into four different programs: Access for Athletes, Operation Rebound, Catch a Rising Star, and Project N.Ex.T., all of which focus on the betterment of disabled athletes, but vary in their target group. Access for Athletes is the flagship program of CAF.
History
Challenged Athletes Foundation was founded in 1997 in response to
below-knee-amputee endurance racer Jim MacLaren who suffered an accident while competing in a
triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
. In June 1993, while competing in a triathlon in Orange County, California, MacLaren was on his bike when a van went through a closed intersection, hit the back of the bike and propelled him into a pole. When he arrived at the hospital he was told that he was a quadriplegic and would never move again from the waist down.
Events
The Challenged Athletes Foundation holds a number of high-profile fund raising events in order to raise money to support disabled athletes to compete in sports. These include CAF events the San Diego Triathlon Challenge; Million Dollar Challenge; Heroes, Heart and Hope Gala held at the
Waldorf Astoria
The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, Hawaii Revisited; Tour de Cove; Rock on the Green and numerous other events under the banner of Race for a Reason.
Athletes
The Challenged Athletes Foundation has enabled a number of disabled athletes to get to the starting line. Amongst these are
Sarah Reinertsen who was the first female leg amputee to complete the
Ironman Triathlon World Championships in
Kona, Hawaii
Kailua-Kona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is most commonly referred to simply as Kona (a name it shares with the district to which it belongs), but also as Kona To ...
and a
World Marathon Challenge Finisher.
Other well-known challenged athletes include:
*
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
*
Rudy Garcia-Tolson
*
Evan Strong
*
Rodrick Sewell
*
Haven Shepherd
*
Hunter Woodhall
Hunter Woodhall (born February 17, 1999) is an American track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in Men's 400 m T62 at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, following a bronze medal in the same event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
He made his int ...
*
Patty Collins
*
Kelly Ray
*
Breezy Bochenek
*
Alex Parra
*
Ezra Frech
References
External links
* {{official, http://www.challengedathletes.org
Non-profit organizations based in California
Parasports organizations
Disability organizations based in the United States
501(c)(3) organizations
1997 establishments in California