Paralympic silver and bronze medalist Mohamed Lahna has successfully started his coast-to-coast Triathlon Across America challenge by completing a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan Island, NY.
The adaptive endurance pioneer completed the swim in 7 hours, 44 minutes, and 58 seconds, starting on the evening of Saturday, June 13, 2026, and finishing in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The opening leg was completed as part of the official 20 Bridges swims, an annual marathon swimming event organized by New York Open Water. If the entire multi-sport project is successful, Lahna will become the first athlete with a prosthesis to complete a full triathlon across the United States in this format, establishing a new milestone for adaptive endurance sport.
The successful circumnavigation of Manhattan marks the beginning of an endurance journey spanning more than 3,300 miles. Following a rest period, Lahna is scheduled to transition to the cycling stage, departing from Manhattan’s Battery Park to ride approximately 3,000 miles to Las Vegas, NV. The cycling route will traverse 16 US states and accumulate more than 100,000 feet of elevation gain.
The final phase of the project will involve a 350-mile run from Las Vegas, NV to Los Angeles, CA. The journey is scheduled to finish at Venice Beach, which will serve as one of the official venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. Lahna currently trains and competes with the goal of securing a Paralympic gold medal at those upcoming games.
The undertaking is functioning as a fundraising campaign, with Lahna aiming to raise US$250,000 for two philanthropic organizations that have influenced his personal and athletic development: Save the Children and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). Growing up in Morocco, Save the Children funded the elementary school that Lahna attended, whilst the Challenged Athletes Foundation provided an athletic support network and resources when he relocated to the United States.
Mohamed Lahna said “We did it! This morning I finished the swim around Manhattan Island. Overall a great great experience, a very unique swim and challenge. A must-do for every ultra swimmer. The first three hours were a little bit challenging because of the currents and the water choppiness. I was sick a few times in the water.”
He added “After that, things settled down and the team and I just kept grinding the distance down every 30 minutes until the finish. When you cross under that last bridge, the 20th bridge, it was just a huge relief.”
Lahna was born with a proximal femoral focal deficiency, a rare congenital condition that left him without a right femur. He completed the 28.5-mile swim utilizing a customized Roka wetsuit specifically adapted for his physical requirements.
Kurt Spenser, Founder and CEO of ROKA Multisport, said “Mohamed has shown the world time and time again the power of setting huge goals and going after them with grit and humility. He is one of the world’s greatest athletes, not just for his passion, determination, and athletic prowess, but also for his big heart. He is an incredible father, competitor, and teammate.”
Representing Team USA, Lahna won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, having previously secured a bronze medal for Morocco at the Rio 2016 Games. His competitive history includes more than 30 podium finishes in World Paratriathlon events, alongside a silver medal at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships. His broader endurance portfolio includes swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar, completing the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert, and finishing the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.
The project is supported by a coalition of commercial partners and sports governing bodies, including On, Ossur, Celsius, Toyota, and World Triathlon. Additional logistical and operational backing is provided by iGPS, Hanger Clinics, Givestar, Rudy Project, Roka, and Jakroo.
Antonio Arimany, World Triathlon President, said “This challenge represents a monumental undertaking, the size and impact of which is commensurate with the immense heart, courage and sheer iron will that World Triathlon Para athletes display week in, week out, on and off the blue carpet. The swim-bike-run across America will put our ever-growing Paralympic sport and its superb athletes even further into the spotlight.”
www.givestar.io/gs/250-triathlon-across-america
