The sport of paratriathlon will debut in 2016 at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the Paralympic Games, athletes will compete in a sprint distance race, comprised of a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Recognizing the need for resources, support and races for the aspiring paratriathletes and Paralympians in the region, the USAT Southwest Regional Council has been working diligently to increase membership and opportunities for our athletes through a paratriathlon initiative. As part of the region’s goals to support paratriathlon, three clinics were held to help introduce, educate and assist paratriathletes entering the world of multisport. Guest speakers at a SpoFit clinic included elite paratriathlete Travis Ricks and John Sellinger, race director for Red Rock Co./Lifetime Fitness events. The clinics were an ideal lead-in to the first ever USAT-SW Region Paratriathlon Championship held in conjunction with Red Rock Co.’s Nathan Tempe Triathlon in Arizona. Congratulations and thank you to the following athletes for supporting the inaugural event: Grant Berthiaume, Jacob Pruett, Travis Ricks, Beth Sanden, Ralph Pieplenbos, Jamie Whitmore, Edwin Figueroa and Aeron Roux. This year paratriathlete membership in the Southwest Region
has grown from seven to over 50. Goals for 2013 are continued growth of paratriathlete membership and programming with plans
to garner club support for paratriathlon, stage a second USAT- SW Region Paratriathlon Championship and bring back clinics to SpoFit and Possabilities, while expanding clinic offerings with regional universities and organizations. To get involved with the USAT-SW Region Council Paratriathlon committee, contact Michele Rebeor (utrigirl@gmail.com) or Jim Girand (jim@girand.com).