Triathlete Jacob Blattner Fuels Greatness Through the USA Triathlon Foundation

If you’ve ever done a triathlon, you know the feeling: a sense of greatness. Greatness in the people you meet. Greatness in the grit it takes to cross the finish line. Greatness in what’s possible when you dig deep and keep going. 

This is the passion that fuels our sport — and at the USA Triathlon Foundation, we’re grateful to experience that feeling not just in racing, but in the impact we can make together. Every gift we receive helps us grow the sport through three core philanthropic priorities: 

1. Encouraging youth participation 
2. Inspiring access and inclusion 
3. Igniting Olympic and Paralympic dreams 

When we give back to the sport that’s given us so much, we tap into a deeper purpose. We create a lifelong love of triathlon and pass that joy and strength on to others. 

Jacob Blattner knows this firsthand. A father, athlete, and philanthropist, Jacob shares his story of how triathlon became more than a race—it became a way of life. 

“It was at a young age that I remember staying at a hotel in Duluth, Minnesota. My brothers and I sat around playing games while my father feasted on a bowl of pasta, preparing for a sprint-distance triathlon. The next day, we sat on a blanket under the shade of a tree as he ran past us. I didn’t really know what triathlon was at the time — but looking back, that was the moment I first met this great sport.” 

“I started this journey to get faster. I wanted to win races. But within a year of training, I realized triathlon gave me something even more valuable: friendship, mental strength, and a sense of purpose beyond the corporate world. Now that I’m a father, my passion has deepened. My boys want to be like their dad and join the sport too. It drives me to show them what hard work and never giving up looks like — in a race, and in life.” 

“I decided to give to USA Triathlon after attending one of their adult training camps. I got to see the impact of the Foundation and hear real stories of transformation. I give for two reasons. First, to help kids find this sport early in life — to give them a healthy outlet that can stay with them forever. Second, for our Olympic hopefuls. Like many others, I’m ultra-competitive. I want Team USA to win gold in 2028 and beyond.” 

Thanks to donors like Jacob, the USA Triathlon Foundation is building a stronger, more inclusive, and more inspired multisport community — one finish line, one child, one dream at a time. 

The USA Triathlon Foundation is powered by passionate donors who believe in the power of sport to change lives — from introducing kids to their first triathlon to supporting athletes chasing Olympic and Paralympic dreams. When you give, you fuel opportunity, access, and inspiration for the entire multisport community.  

Learn how you can make a difference by visiting www.usatriathlon.org/foundation.  

For more information on how to engage with the USA Triathlon Foundation or support our vision for LA 2028, contact the USA Triathlon Foundation at info@usatriathlonfoundation.org.