Out of nearly 100 entries from 270 eligible organisations, USA Triathlon’s proposed ‘Veterans to Victors’ program in support of paratriathlon has been selected as one of five finalists in the Excellence Category of the US Olympic Committee’s Team USA Grants competition.
To enter, USA Triathlon (USAT) submitted a two-minute video describing the Veterans to Victors program, its need for funding and how it meets the category criteria. The contest categories are Excellence, Friendship and Respect.
The video clips from all of the finalists will be posted to the US Olympic Team Facebook page beginning Wednesday on 7 September through to 18 September.
Fan voting will determine which two winners within each category receive a US$12,000 grant. To vote, individuals must first ‘like’ the US Olympic Team, and then can vote once per category, per day through to 11:59:59 p.m. EST on 18 September.
USA Triathlon is encouraging all of its members and those who help ‘fuel the multisport lifestyle’ to make their voice heard and support what could be a landmark program for the organisation.
The Veterans to Victors program will not only help introduce wounded US veterans to the sport of paratriathlon through instructional camps, it will also promote a healthy lifestyle and provide a challenging competitive outlet. In addition, the program will assist USA Triathlon in identifying talented paratriathletes for the 2016 Paralympic Games, when the sport will make its debut in Rio de Janeiro.
The program is designed help the US maintain its position as a world leader in the sport of paratriathlon while also playing a key role in both the physical and mental rehabilitation of veterans.
