CAF camp

    I had an awesome opportunity this past weekend to help out with a triathlon camp that was being put on by the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).  CAF does a few camps every year and my coaches at Multisport Performance were  asked to host the east coast camp.  I had been looking forward to it for awhile and it did not disappoint.  CAF is a foundation that works with parathletes, which are athletes who have some kind of physical disability, whether it be some type of amputation, paralysis, vision impairment, etc.  They host camps and clinics for the athletes, provide grants for them to be able to get equipment such as a bike, provide grants that pay for the athletes to attend the clinics, among a host of other services.    

    The camp was held at the Portifino Island Resort which is a beautiful facility, right on the water and  perfect for this type of event.  There were about 25 athletes from all over that participted, 6 or 7 coaches that flew in from around the country, and a few mentor athletes that attended.  The athletes were split up into three groups based on their disability.  One group consisted of the below the knee amputees and arm amputees, one group included the folks in a wheelchair, and the last group was the above the knee amputees. 

      Friday was more of a technical day with three different sessions.  In one session, the athletes had a gait analysis done where their running gait was analyzed by one of the top triathlon coaches to see if there was any room for improvement in their technique or efficiency.  In another session, the athletes were properly fit onto their bikes and taught the difference between the geometry of a road and triathlon bike.  The third session was done in the pool.  Each athlete was given a videotaped analysis of their stroke and went through about an hour of drills and coaching.



Gait Analysis



     Saturday was a day to put to practice what they had learned the day before.  First thing in the morning, we did an open water swim in the bay.  Some of the athletes had never even been in open water before, but everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.  After swimming, we took them over to the track for drills and a short workout.  The athletes were glad to get a break after that session for lunch.  It was pretty hot and they had worked hard.  The last thing we did that afternoon was go for a bike ride.  We rode about 30 miles and the scenery was beautiful, the water was crystal clear.  We couldn't have planned better weather for the camp. 

     I was so inspired by the athletes that attended this camp.  I think the funnest part for me was just being able to hang out with them and getting to know them.  Hearing some of the their stories and the things that they have endured really put some things into perspective for me.  I can't think of much to complain about after being around these guys.  These people hve been through  and overcome more than I can even imagine and yet they have incredible attitudes. 

     There were a couple of mentor athletes there who I also spent some time with.  These were world class parathletes who had competed in the paralympics and numerous world championships.  Just to hear them talk about the races and various competitions that they have competed in as a parathlete was breathtaking.  They don't make any excuses, train just as hard as anyone else, and have accomplished incredible things.