USA Triathlon is planning a paratriathlon clinic in Baltimore on the weekend of April 21-22nd. The clinic will be both for athletes with amputations and those with lower/upper extremity paralysis and is open to all ages and experience levels. We will evaluate our participants’ experience level in each of the sports and adjust the intensity/specialization of each sport session accordingly. Some athletes will come with considerable expertise in one sport but none at all in another. It is USAT’s goal to meet the needs of both the novice/recreational level athlete as well as those interested in competing nationally/internationally.
This would be a wonderful opportunity for some of our more experienced local pushrim/handcycle athletes to share their knowledge and experience with those just getting started in the sport. It’s also a perfect chance for everyone to try a new sport! Since paratriathlon involves swimming, cycling, and pushrim/run, it’s a great way to prevent training boredom and overuse injuries. We will also be running a relay-matching service for those who are only initially comfortable with one or two of the sports so that they can compete in their specialty on a relay team.
We are looking for any handcycle/pushrim athletes who would be willing to reach out to new athletes – we need your help to make this clinic a success! Most of you remember what it was like when you were first getting involved in the sport – so many questions, mixed with fear of trying something new. Your help is vital in reaching out to others in the same situation.
We’d also love to see a thriving local community of parathletes develop for future group training opportunities. The clinic will be a great opportunity to network with other athletes and meet people from USAT who share a vision of making local races accessible to all athletes and building a cohesive, easily-navigated, para-sport resource network in the Mid-Atlantic region. Make your voice heard – what would you like to see happen in para-sport here?
If you are interested in helping with the clinic, or if you have questions about the paratriathlon initiative in the Mid-Atlantic region, please email paratri@usat-ma.org.
National Rehabilitation Hospital and TriColumbia have partnered in support of the Celebrating Heroes Triathlon on June 24, 2011. Celebrating Heroes Triathlon is a sprint triathlon taking place amid the rolling countryside in scenic Howard County, MD, celebrating both able bodied and challenged athletes. The USAT-MA Paratriathlon committee offers a relay-matching service for disabled athletes wishing to participate in the Celebrating Heroes Triathlon as part of a relay team. Through this relay matching service, disabled athletes are paired up with others who wish to participate in one or two parts of the triathlon but may not personally know others who are looking to do the same. We will match you with others that match your interests (i.e. swim, bike, run, speed, gender, location, new or experienced athletes). Email paratri@usat-ma.org if interested.
Relay matching services are also supporting the development of a paratriathlon relay team of 4-12 athletes at the 2012 Multiport World Expo in Bethesda, MD. See relay team challenge details by clicking here and email paratri@usat-ma.org if interested.
