CAF is Sending Six Challenged Athletes to Race the Vega IRONMAN World Championship!

We are thrilled to introduce the Team CAF challenged athletes who will compete at the Vega IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i on October 12^th, 2019. CAF and Vega have partnered together to get to these athletes to the starting line in Kona and many of them are fueling their training with Vega plant-based nutrition products.

Let’s start with Team Liza! Mother and daughter, Beth and Liza James, are the first-ever mother-daughter team to compete in Kona. Beth and her three kids were involved in a tragic car accident 15 years ago that left her youngest daughter Liza with a traumatic brain injury. Liza is now 23-years old and, while nonverbal and cannot walk on her own, she loves being outdoors and racing with her accomplished triathlete mom, Beth. Their first triathlon was CAF’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge where Beth witnessed the sheer joy on Liza’s face swimming, biking and running together.

	Attempting his first-ever full-distance IRONMAN race is CAF spokesperson and long-time supported athlete Roderick Sewell. Roderick is a bilateral above-knee amputee as a result of congenital deformities. He spent much of his youth homeless and didn’t consider playing a sport until he connected with CAF. He is now a member of the US Paralympic Swim Team, a first-generation college graduate, and a mentor and coach at his local YMCA – the place where he first learned to swim.
	Elke van Engelen from Germany is an Össur (CAF Global Prosthetic Partner) athlete who will set her sights on the 2020 Paralympics after Kona in triathlon.
	Rodger Krause is an avid triathlete who suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident and continues his passion for the sport as a wheelchair athlete. This will be his first IRONMAN World Championship.
	Lisle Adams was two weeks out from his first IRONMAN attempt when he was crushed between two cars while examining his vehicle for damage on the side of the road. He worked himself up to a 5k, a marathon and then an IRONMAN race. This will be his first time in Kona.
	We are happy to support Jason Folwer again this year! Jason is a 5x IRONMAN World Championship finisher (he took the World Title in 2009 and 2016).

The IRONMAN World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978 and is a high-endurance event that consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) open water swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run. CAF has made it possible for many challenged athletes to participate in IRONMAN races and be part of some of the most iconic media moments over the years. Along with Vega, we appreciate the support of our partners Ashworth Awards, Wattie Ink, and 100% Sunglasses who are helping Team CAF athletes achieve the most through sport.

We wish these athletes our best and will continue to follow them on their journey to Kona!