The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has announced a partnership with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) at this year’s Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles event on Sunday, May 15, 2022.
The new PTO ProAM Series features challenged athletes competing alongside PTO Professionals and celebrities as part of a Celebrity Team Relay broadcast to an international audience.
The event will feature 10 athletes from the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) who will lead the swim leg of the triathlon, handing over to ten PTO Professional triathletes who will complete the triathlon, alongside 10 celebrity guests.
Amongst the challenged athletes competing in the ProAM are Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Roderick Sewell and Haven Shepherd, led by team captain Amy Van Dyken Rouen, a six- time Olympic Gold Medallist in competitive swimming.
Rudy Garcia-Tolson and the Challenged Athletes Foundation have been in partnership since he was just eight years old and today, Garcia-Tolson is a 5x Paralympian, 5x Paralympic medallist, and the first double-above knee amputee to complete an IRONMAN.
Roderick Sewell is also a double above-knee amputee who was homeless for many of his childhood years and never considered sport until he was connected to the Challenged Athletes Foundation at the age of eight. He has since competed in the US Paralympic Swim Trials in both 2016 and 2020; and in 2019 he became the first double above knee amputee to finish the IRONMAN World Championship. He is also the first member of his family to graduate from college.
Haven Shepherd began life as an orphan in Vietnam who lost her legs, as well as her parents, in a family suicide attempt and qualified for her first Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 with CAF’s support.
Sam Renouf, CEO of the PTO said “We are delighted to partner with Challenged Athletes Foundation for the first race in the new ProAM series.
“CAF is a charity we have been involved with for some years that does truly inspirational work ensuring that the power of sport is not lost on those less able. We have a stellar line up of CAF athletes, who, along with their PTO professionals and celebrity ProAM teammates, will showcase their extraordinary talents to a global audience of endurance fans.”
Bob Babbitt, CAF Co-Founder, said “At CAF we feel that people underestimate the power of sport to change lives for the better.
“Working with the PTO to connect the greatest triathletes on the planet with our amazing CAF athletes as well as celebrities is a dream come true. This event is going to be spectacular!”
The PTO Pro-AM is part of the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles event and will also feature some of the world’s top PTO Professionals racing in the professional race for a US$100,000 prize purse. This is in addition to age group races, which include a sprint distance, an aquabike international distance, a 22-mile bike tour, and a 5k run/walk that will traverse through the streets of Los Angeles.
“The partnerships with PTO and CAF elevate the overall event experience for all participants and we look forward to cheering on the athletes as they cross the Herbalife 24 event finish line at the famed LA Live,” said Jennifer Guran, Director of Sports Marketing and Alliances, Herbalife Nutrition, North America.
www.protriathletes.org
www.challengedathletes.org
