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Sports NewsCAF Raises $166,000 for Veterans
In its first official event since becoming the Challenged Athletes Foundation's initial chapter, CAF-Florida raised more than $166,000 for wounded veterans through the Operation Rebound fundraiser. Each of the 60-plus athletes who competed in the fourth annual Ford Ironman Florida event May 20 at Disney World® generated at least $1,000 through CAF's Race for a Reason program. The morning before the race, the group presented a check for $157,648 to Maj. David Rozelle, the team captain and a below-knee amputee. Several thousand dollars were received after the breakfast to push the total beyond $166,000.
Event highlights included the presentation of a tennis chair to Elmer Dinglasan, a bilateral amputee (AK and BK), and his wife Margarita. The chair is intended to help Dinglasan compete at a high level. Another great moment came during the Kid's Run when Rozelle walked with Jordan Gollnick, a young girl with cerebral palsy and the daughter of pro triathlete Heather Gollnick.
Next up for CAF-Florida is the Hammerhead Olympic Triathlon August 26 in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Elizabeth Stone (Paralympian swimmer) and Melissa Stockwell (Operation Rebound member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation) pose after completing the swim portion of the Accenture clinic.
Photograph by Jill Prichard courtesy of CAF. |
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Paralympian medalist Cheri Blauwet poses with a clinic participant.
Photograph by Jill Prichard courtesy of CAF. |
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Accenture Clinic a Success
Fifty-degree weather didn't stop 13 athletes from attending the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Mobility and Multi-sport Clinic, Saturday, June 2, at Marina Green in San Francisco, California. Seven wheelchair athletes were treated to handcycling and racing-chair demonstrations by elite athlete and CAF spokesperson, Cheri Blauwet. The demonstration was followed with a 20-minute handcycle ride around Marina Green. Sarah Reinertsen headed up the amputee mobility portion of the clinic with demonstrations and strength and balance exercises. At the end of the clinic, the six amputees in attendance tested their new skills by competing against one another on a mini obstacle course.
Record Number of PC Athletes Escape the Rock
The following day, 13 athletes battled the infamous Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathalon—a record number, according to CAF.
The race, first developed in 2003, began with a 1.5-mile swim from a ferry anchored near the rugged coastline of the prison island of Alcatraz to the shores of the San Francisco Bay. Participants then completed an 18-mile technical bike ride along the Great Highway through Golden Gate Park. They finished with a "brutal" 8-mile run on the beach, which included a sand ladder that CAF said is a struggle even for professional athletes.
CAF sponsored an all-female relay team affectionately called the "Golden Girls," as all were Paralympians. This team consisted of Elizabeth Stone, the first physically challenged athlete out of the water (swimmer); Cheri Blauwet, the first female hand-cyclist on the course (biker); and Sarah Reinertsen, the first female leg amputee to finish the Hawaii Ironman (runner). Accenture sponsored the Operation Rebound team, which was comprised of Melissa Stockwell (swimmer), Rich Ingram (biker), and Andy Hatcher (runner).
For more information, visit www.challengedathletes.org 
Table Of Contents - July 2007
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