USA Paratriathlon Continues Growth of Military Programming

For the fifth straight year, USA Paratriathlon, a program of USA Triathlon, has been awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant, under the Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans and Disabled Members of the Armed Forces Program.

USA Paratriathlon received a total of $68,000 in grant funding to help further establish programs and educational opportunities for veteran athletes. USA Paratriathlon programming made possible through the grant award focuses specifically on the USA Paratriathlon Military Program and follows four fundamental pillars: expose athletes to the sport through camps focusing on introductory concepts and skill development; evoke confidence in injured veterans to feel comfortable with triathlon training and racing equipment; educate existing adaptive sport clubs and veteran organizations about the sport through hands-on support; and enable pursuit of excellence through high performance support of those who show Paralympic potential.

USA Paratriathlon will partner with VA hospitals, Paralympic sport clubs, veteran adaptive sport clubs and major existing veteran games to increase exposure of the sport to veterans. Additionally, this grant complements another partnership program between USA Paratriathlon and VA -- the Paralympic training allowance -- which provides assistance for disabled veterans in their triathlon training.

More information about the VA Adaptive Sports Program is available at va.gov.

"The Department of Veterans Affairs enables USA Paratriathlon to create and sustain opportunities for veteran athletes through camps, equipment and travel support," said Amanda Duke Boulet, USA Paratriathlon Program Manager. "For five years now, we have been able to provide an unprecedented level of support to both new and continuing paratriathletes with ties to our nation's military, and we are grateful that we can help develop skills and confidence through this grant funding."

USA Paratriathlon's military program has received more than $300,000 to date from the annual VA grant, and the program aims to provide appropriate opportunities for all, whether it be to simply learn the requisite skills to swim, bike and run safely for recreation or to train and compete at an elite level with an objective to represent the U.S. at the Paralympic Games.

For more information about USA Paratriathlon and its programs, contact Jessica Welk at  paratriathlon@usatriathlon.org or visit usatriathlon.org/paratriathlon.

About USA Triathlon: USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).