Having recently been made a finalist, and following a 12-day voting period on Facebook, USA Triathlon (USAT) was selected as one of six grand prize winners of the inaugural Team USA Grants. The grand prize is a US$12,000 grant to assist programs within the US Olympic and Paralympic family that aim to improve sustained competitive excellence, instil the Olympic Values and grow sport participation in the US.
USA Triathlon was one of two winners in the Excellence category for its ‘Veterans to Victors’ program.
“On behalf of USA Triathlon, we’re honoured to be voted as a winner in the Excellence category for Team USA Grants,” said Chuck Menke, Marketing and Communications Director for USA Triathlon.
“We believe the ‘Veterans to Victors’ program will aid greatly in the development of our Paratriathlon High Performance Plan as we prepare for the sport’s debut at the Paralympic Games in 2016. We’d also like to extend our appreciation to the US Olympic Committee for providing this generous opportunity, as well as to our members and online community for voting.”
Applicants in the Excellence category sought funding for programs that aim to provide coaching, equipment, sport technology, sport science or training and competition expenses to competitive athletes in order to facilitate improvement and sport development.
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.
“On behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee, a big thanks goes out to the organizations who applied for Team USA Grants and also to all the people that voted on Facebook. Additionally, congratulations to the winning organizations for their commitment to spreading the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect through this initiative,” said USOC Chief Communications Officer Patrick Sandusky.
