American Airlines Official Airline of Adventure Team Challenge NC

National non-profit World T.E.A.M. Sports welcomed today American Airlines as the official airline for the inaugural October 2-4, 2015 Adventure Team Challenge North Carolina inclusive sporting event taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hosted at the 700-acre U.S. National Whitewater Center southwest of the city, teams of five athletes will undertake stages including whitewater rafting, off-road bicycling, rock climbing, orienteering and other physical and technical challenges. Similar to the successful Adventure Team Challenge in Colorado’s high Rocky Mountains, the North Carolina Challenge will bring together athletes with disabilities and those who are able-bodied. Each participating team will include two athletes with disabilities, one being a wheelchair user.

“World T.E.A.M. Sports is proud to welcome back American Airlines as a sponsor,” said the organization’s CEO and President Van Brinson. “We welcome their support and look forward to working with them to continue our mission of changing lives through sports.”

Teams participating in the Challenge are self-sufficient and depend on the strengths of each participant to successfully negotiate technical and strategic challenges in each stage. Cooperation and camaraderie between team members and different teams is inspiring to both the participants and to spectators.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina will host the October 2-4 event. Photograph courtesy U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Participants in the Challenge include veterans and active-duty military members, as well as civilian participants. Since the initial Adventure Team Challenge Colorado in 2007, athletes with blindness, Post-Traumatic Stress, paralysis, loss of limb and Traumatic Brain Injuries have successfully participated alongside those who are able-bodied. Significantly, all competing teams have finished each Challenge.

The 2015 Adventure Team Challenge North Carolina from World T.E.A.M. Sports is supported through sponsors and partners including presenting sponsor MetLife, American Portfolios Financial Services, American Airlines, Penske Truck Rentals and TimeCapital. Additional financial support is provided by George Puskar.

About American Airlines Group: American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. Together with regional partners, operating as American Eagle and US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.

Water sports, including whitewater kayaking, are popular at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Photograph courtesy U.S. National Whitewater Center.

American Airlines is involved in a wide variety of military charities supporting men and women in uniform and their families. Initiatives include providing air travel to active members and veterans, fundraising generated through fuel conservation efforts and partnerships with entertainers to perform for troops. Through these charitable efforts, American continues to make a difference in the lives of those serving our country.

Travel privileges for active military include priority boarding, preferred seating and upgrades if available; waived baggage fees, complimentary access to Admirals Club® lounges for qualifying active members of the military, priority baggage delivery to the claim area, and reduced-rate shipping via American Airlines Cargo.