award winners
Jim MacLaren Award Winners:
Most Inspirational Athlete:
Rising Star Award Winner:
Sempra Energy Trailblazer Award:
colleen Blackmore & Heather lacasse
Jim MacLaren Award Winners
Presented to the individuals who have made the most significant contributions towards the mission of CAF.
Colleen Blackmore and Heather LaCasse (fondly nick-named “The Spin Twins” by the Challenged Athletes Foundation [CAF] staff) were first introduced to the organization in 2000. Working as a volunteer at the registration for the San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC), Heather came in contact with athletes such as Rudy Garcia-Tolson and many others. The experience lit a spark within Heather’s heart – a passion for supporting challenged athletes that would eventually lead to the creation of one of CAF’s most successful and best-loved events.
In 2003, Heather worked with her best friend – and fellow Frogs Fitness Cycling Instructor – Colleen to create and direct the Spin de Cove, a 100-bike spin-a-thon held right in the heart of the SDTC expo. Between Colleen’s “curse” of being organized and Heather’s passion, these women put on a fantastic event and raised almost $59,000 for CAF. The following year, the event was held on Halloween with a new name – the Tour de Cove (TDC). Under their careful stewardship, the TDC was once again a smash-hit, and participants had a scary good time – costume contest and all.
Each year Colleen and Heather’s commitment to CAF and this event has grown. Each year, fundraising dollars have increased, more cyclists have jumped on board and the event has become an experience unlike any other. When asked about the secret behind their phenomenal success, Colleen explains it is a deep appreciation for life:
“It is realizing that you can never anticipate the cards life may deal you. Many of the challenged athletes I have met were faced with unpredictable accidents or illnesses that resulted in the loss of use of limbs. To know no one is immune is a sobering thought and a big motivation to continue to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation.”
On a personal level, their commitment and passion also comes from direct contact with the challenged athletes they’re helping. They share a fond memory of meeting a young challenged athlete named Paige Looney, a double above-knee amputee from La Mirada, CA.
“Paige joined us on stage and the next thing you know, she’s singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” said Heather. “That year we gave her a handcycle, which she rode on the grass. She was thrilled and it felt incredible to know we helped put the sparkle in her eyes!”
Thanks to Colleen and Heather’s strong management and unrivaled work ethic, over the past three years, the Tour de Cove has raised more $309,000 for CAF. They’ve touched the lives of many challenged athletes like Paige and Jonah Vandever, who received running legs at the Spin de Cove in 2005. Their contributions are countless and commitment tireless. CAF is proud to honor Colleen Blackmore and Heather LaCasse with the 2006 Jim MacLaren Award.
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tricia downing
Most Inspirational Athlete
Given to the athlete who never ceases to inspire those around him/her through strength, athleticism, ability and true dedication to the CAF mission.
As an elite road and track cyclist, Tricia Downing “gave back” to the community by volunteering her cycling skills as a pilot for visually impaired riders. Little did she know that an accident in the Fall of 2000 would put her on the other side of the equation.
Tricia was training in Golden, CO when she was hit by a car and suffered a T-4 spinal injury. Her back was broken, but not her spirit. Tricia’s experience working with challenged athletes gave her faith that everything would be okay. From her hospital bed, Tricia wrote out her first grant request to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) – for a handcycle that would get her back on the road … and back into life. Tricia understood right away that her accident was not an end, but a new beginning.
And what a new beginning it has been. Tricia began competing in the handcycle division of triathlons in 2002 and was named USA Triathlon’s Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year for 2003. This year, Tricia has taken things even further by finishing her first iron-distance race – the Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 18 hours, 4 minutes – accomplishing a dream she set for herself when she first got into the sport. If that weren’t enough, Tricia is paving the way for other female wheelchair athletes to follow.
“I think I have opened the door for several female wheelers in the sport of triathlon. I hope to see them become more involved and will always be happy to share what I have learned.”
On June 25, Tricia became the first female paraplegic athlete to qualify for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship! Qualifying was not an easy feat. In Tricia’s words, “It was one of the most mentally and emotionally draining race weekends of my life.” To qualify, she had to finish the Ironman Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 in under 8 hours and 30 minutes. Just to make things exciting, she crossed the line with 14 seconds to spare.
In July, her stellar 2006 season continued when Tricia was crowned woman’s handcycle division champion at USA Triathlon Physically Challenged Championships in New York City after winning an epic mano-a-mano battle with April Coughlin.
In October Tricia Downing will follow greats like Carlos Moleda, one of her mentors, to the lava fields of Kona. She’ll make history in the sport of triathlon no matter what the result. With the support from CAF and coaching from Neal Henderson, Tricia is living her motto, “Always believe you can.” She can, and she will.
Tricia’s steadfast spirit is a source of untold strength. She’s a pioneer for women in the sport of triathlon. And she’s not just a CAF grantee, she’s a fundraiser too – giving back to the cause for so that others can also live their dreams. For all these reasons, CAF is proud to recognize Tricia Downing as its 2006 Most Inspirational Athlete.
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Bobby martin
Rising Star Award Winner
Given annually to a young athlete who has demonstrated commitment, dedication and focus to meet an athletic goal.
Standing a little over three feet tall and weighing in at 117 pounds, Bobby Martin is far from the prototypical football player. But his heart is All-pro.
Born without legs, Bobby refuses to let others define what he can do athletically – or in life. “I have no disability,” he says. “I can do anything anyone else does.”
Propelling himself on the field using just his hands, Martin played on special teams and as a back-up nose tackle for his high school’s varsity team. He made an impact on the field – and in his community.
A former runner up in the city and state wrestling championships, Bobby decided to go out for football as a senior. But his dreams of gridiron glory were almost snuffed out by a ridiculous ruling by game officials that said no player could compete without shoes, thigh pads or kneepads. For the first time in his life, Bobby felt disabled.
“I was kind of sad because I’d never been told I couldn’t do anything in my life,” he said.
Officials reinstated Bobby the following week. Bobby became a local hero, his team went on a winning streak and his peers elected him homecoming king. To top it off, he was also awarded the 2006 Male Disabled Athlete of the Year ESPY.
While he is still mulling his future options, one thing is certain: he will continue to be an inspiration. “I just want to inspire everybody to never give up, never give up,” says Bobby. “I never gave up on anything a day in my life.”
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jon beeson
Sempra Energy Trailblazer Award
Given to a challenged athlete who demonstrates courage, commitment, and leadership – not only in their personal performance, but also in opening doors for others.
Jon Beeson is a lifelong challenged athlete. Born without his left forearm, he began his athletic life as a little leaguer then was a standout swimmer and water polo player at Oxnard High. He played collegiate volleyball at U.C. Santa Cruz.
In 1998, while taking his morning dip at Santa Barbara’s East Beach, he witnessed the start of the Santa Barbara Triathlon. It was a tipping point for Jon – and for physically challenged triathletes everywhere. “I saw two paraplegic athletes being loaded into the water and I decided then and there I had to try the sport myself,” said Jon.
To no one’s surprise, Jon was a natural. He is a two-time USA Triathlon (USAT) National Champion and in six International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championship appearances, he has won two Golds, three Silvers and a Bronze.
Since 2000, Jon has co-chaired the USAT Physically Challenged Commission. He has worked with the commission to totally rewrite the competition rules and race director guidelines for physically challenged athletes, to help create a full “Athletes with Disabilities” committee at ITU, and to bring in over $35,000 in corporate and personal donations. In 2004, he was instrumental in the formation of an elite team of PC triathletes that compete at some of the highest profile races in triathlon.
The goal is to generate positive media coverage for the effort to make triathlon an official Paralympic sport, and it seems to be paying off. This year saw the first ever “stand alone” USAT PC National Championships in New York City, which qualified a record 31 U.S. athletes for the 2006 ITU World Championships. In 2008, ITU is planning an unprecedented “Athletes with Disabilities” triathlon demonstration event on the Olympic course in Beijing. “If all goes to plan, we'll see a Paralympic triathlon contested through the streets of London in 2012,” said Jon. “What great day that will be. I can't wait.”
“We are proud to support groundbreaking, visionary athletes and organizations like Jon and CAF,” said [Sempra Energy spokesperson]. “At Sempra Energy we value focus, determination and resilience, and most importantly, the contributions that each individual can make for the betterment of us all. We are committed to a culture of inclusion where the power of diversity is harnessed, not ignored. That is why we are such enthusiastic supporters of CAF.”
Sempra Energy has been a CAF sponsor since 1991, and title sponsor of the San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC) for the past two years. A leading energy services concern, the company donates almost $10 million annually to charities, with more than half of these funds benefiting worthy causes in California.
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