Together, the CAF community raised $2,136,346 during the 2026 San Diego Triathlon Challenge fueled by Toyota, helping expand access to adaptive equipment, training, coaching, and opportunities in sport for athletes with physical disabilities.
But the impact of SDTC extends beyond fundraising. Throughout the weekend, athletes connected with peers and mentors, tried new sports, received grants and equipment, pursued personal goals, and experienced the community that has defined this event for more than three decades.
From competition and clinics to grant presentations, athlete conversations, and record-breaking fundraising, the weekend brought Power in Motion to life across the CAF community.
From the first gathering before sunrise to the final athletes crossing the finish line, Sunday at the 2026 San Diego Triathlon Challenge fueled by Toyota felt like a homecoming for the CAF community, bringing together longtime participants, first-time athletes, families, volunteers, partners, and supporters at La Jolla Cove.
More than 150 athletes with physical disabilities joined hundreds of family members, friends, volunteers, partners, and supporters for a full day of sport, fundraising, grant presentations, athlete conversations, and unforgettable community moments. Together, they demonstrated what becomes possible when barriers are removed and people are given greater access to sport.
CAF Co-Founder Bob Babbitt welcomed the community and reflected on the movement that began when a group of friends came together to support Jim MacLaren. More than three decades later, that original act of community has grown into more than 60,000 grants across 105 sports, reaching athletes in all 50 states and more than 70 countries.
The morning also celebrated the donors, fundraisers, teams, volunteers, board members, and partners whose commitment helps CAF provide adaptive equipment, training, and support to athletes with physical disabilities.
One of the morning’s most meaningful moments continued a beloved CAF tradition through the CAF Endowment in Memory of Robin Williams.
A longtime CAF supporter and friend, Robin Williams believed deeply in the power of sport to create joy, connection, and opportunity. His son, Zak Williams, joined the CAF community on stage to help continue that legacy for the next generation.
Presented by Zak, nine-year-old Beauden received a Top End Youth Handcycle through the CAF Endowment in Memory of Robin Williams, giving him another resource to continue being active and exploring the many sports and activities he enjoys.
With rally towels held high, the crowd celebrated the many people and experiences represented across the CAF community.
First-time SDTC participants were welcomed alongside community members who have returned to La Jolla Cove for more than three decades. Runners, cyclists, Operation Rebound athletes, Paralympians, national team members, and athletes looking toward LA28 were each recognized.
When athletes, family members, volunteers, partners, and supporters raised their towels together, the moment captured what makes SDTC so special: people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences coming together through sport.
Following a performance of the national anthem by Samuel Nehemiah, the community made its way toward the starting area for the first athletic events of the day.
The event began with a 5K run, followed by a 30-mile bike ride and an eight-mile run along the San Diego coast.
San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, representing District 1 and La Jolla, joined athletes and families at the starting line before sounding the horn to officially begin the competition.
Bike-only athletes soon headed onto the 30-mile cycling course, while duathlon competitors moved through transition and prepared for the next stage of their event. At 8:45 a.m., the eight-mile run-only athletes began their coastal course before returning to the finish at La Jolla Cove.
Before the Jami Marseilles Kids Run & Roll presented by Philadelphia Insurance Company, young athletes gathered for a group stretch led by Farel Hruska and Jill Strotz of EōS Fitness, with CAF youth athlete Paisley and Paralympian and CAF Ambassador Scout Bassett joining the fun on stage.
The excitement then moved to the start line for one of SDTC’s most cherished traditions.
The Kids Run began in 1997, when young athlete Roy Perkins wanted to participate in the day and CAF created a route around the Cove for him. Jami Marseilles ran alongside him, beginning a tradition that has encouraged young athletes for generations. After her passing in 2022, the event was proudly named in her memory.
This year, Beau Marseilles, Jami’s husband, joined the CAF community as children of all abilities moved through the course together. With families and supporters cheering them on, young athletes made their way around the course and across the finish line together.
Paralympian, IRONMAN finisher, and longtime CAF athlete Sarah Reinertsen joined Bob Babbitt to help send participants onto the 3.1-mile course.
Standing before a crowd gathered at the start line, Sarah reflected on the power of role models and visibility in sport. Looking out at the athletes and families ready to begin, she shared that seeing Paralympic pioneer Jim MacLaren as a role model “made me believe that anything was possible.”
The event gave athletes, families, friends, and supporters an opportunity to move together at their own pace. Whether walking or rolling, participants filled the course in a celebration of inclusion and community.
Back on the Main Stage, a special conversation explored one of the central issues behind CAF’s mission: access to sport.
Moderated by Bob Babbitt, the panel featured athletes Mohamed Lahna, Eric McElvenny, and Travis Ricks, along with Össur Vice President of Corporate Communications Edda Geirsdóttir. Together, the group discussed the equipment, resources, and opportunities athletes with limb loss and limb difference need throughout their sporting journeys.
Their perspectives highlighted how access to the right sports prosthesis can support participation, performance, and an athlete’s evolving goals.
The conversation also reinforced the importance of the longstanding partnership between CAF and Össur, which continues helping athletes with limb loss and limb difference access sports prostheses and pursue their goals.
As Travis Ricks reflected, “I get to watch the kids that CAF is supporting through their grants grow up and change things for the next generation of kids. It’s truly full circle.”
The mission moved from conversation into action during a grant presentation made possible through CAF’s partnership with Toyota.
Team Toyota athletes Jerome Avery and Jarryd Wallace joined Scott Nunez of Toyota Motor North America to recognize three athletes pursuing significant goals in wheelchair racing and paratriathlon.
Miguel Jimenez-Vergara, who received his first racing chair through CAF at age six and now trains in Chula Vista with his sights set on Los Angeles 2028, received a new racing chair.
Jacob Allen, a T54 wheelchair racer who moved to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center to train full-time, also received a racing chair built to support his events and development.
Emily Sweeney, a New York-based wheelchair athlete entering her fourth year of paratriathlon, received a sport expense grant to support training, travel, and competition costs associated with competing in paratriathlon.
Each grant addressed a specific need, providing equipment or financial support to help each athlete continue training and competing toward their individual goals.
As athletes advance in sport, finding a clear pathway from participation to high-performance competition can become its own challenge.
A Main Stage panel brought together Kelly Worrell and five-time Paralympian Rudy Garcia-Tolson from CAF, Will Bott from USRowing, Mike Durner from USA Cycling, and three-time Paralympian and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee representative Tyler Carter.
The panel explored how CAF is working with national governing bodies to help athletes discover sports, develop their abilities, and identify opportunities to advance. Kelly Worrell emphasized the importance of “developing relationships, providing support through CAF, spreading the word, and finding a spot where we could fill a gap.”
During the discussion, CAF announced a new partnership with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. The collaboration expands an initiative already involving USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and USRowing, creating stronger pathways across triathlon, cycling, rowing, and wheelchair basketball.
Although LA28 provides an exciting milestone, this work is designed to create a lasting structure that will serve athletes far beyond the Games.
Longtime CAF supporter Larry Scott was also recognized for helping fund these partnerships and for his years of support for athlete development, including CAF’s first paratriathlon team and the CAF Women’s Handcycling Team.
Throughout the morning, Tour de Cove presented by EōS Fitness transformed La Jolla Cove into a celebration of community, purpose, and possibility. Riders filled the Cove with energy as they took on 90-minute cycling sessions, helping raise an incredible $250,000 for CAF, the most raised in Tour de Cove history.
Emerging youth athlete leaders Chase and Logan joined longtime CAF athletes Christian Metzler, Jason Metcalf, and Samuel Nehemiah, among many others, to motivate riders, share their stories, and connect participants with CAF’s mission.
During a break in the riding, former Ole Miss defensive tackle KD Hill received a $2,500 Sport Expense Grant. Following a right below-knee amputation after a 2023 trucking accident, KD previously received a sports prosthesis through the CAF and Össur Grant Program. His latest grant will provide additional resources as he continues pursuing his athletic goals.
Taking the stage, KD shared advice passed down from his mother that continues to guide him today: “Son, don’t tell me how bad you want it. Show me how bad you want it.”
CAF also celebrated the growing impact of its year-round partnership with EōS Fitness. In addition to serving as the presenting sponsor of Tour de Cove for the fifth consecutive year, EōS provides complimentary gym memberships to CAF athletes, engages members and team members in fundraising efforts, and supports programs that introduce new communities to CAF’s mission.
CAF Ambassadors took the Main Stage to reflect on the different paths sport can create.
Travis Ricks, Willie Stewart, Roderick Sewell, Scout Bassett, and Albert Lin shared perspectives shaped by competitive sport, endurance challenges, mentorship, advocacy, and decades within the CAF community.
Their conversation focused on the people who helped them believe they belonged in sport, the motivation to continue pursuing new challenges, and the responsibility that comes with helping younger athletes discover their own possibilities.
Reflecting on her own journey, Scout Bassett shared how her connection to CAF began. “I was introduced to CAF through friends, one in particular Sarah Reinertsen, and I had no idea what CAF was or what they did, but it changed the course of my entire life.”
The conversation explored how access to sport can grow into mentorship, leadership, advocacy, and opportunities to support the next generation of athletes.
The afternoon program resumed with professional triathlete Matt Hanson and a conversation about CAF’s partnership with Quintana Roo and American Bicycle Group.
Through Quintana Roo, OBED, and Litespeed, the partnership is designed to expand access to high-performance bicycles for CAF athletes participating in triathlon, road, gravel, and mountain biking. Matt Hanson discussed his experience as both a professional athlete and a contributor to the development and testing of the bikes he competes on.
The conversation explored how bike fit, equipment, aerodynamics, and the right performance setup can support athletes at every level, from people trying a new sport to experienced competitors pursuing elite goals.
Another surprise grant moment highlighted the partnership between CAF and Lakeshore Foundation’s Sports Science and Performance Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Amy Rauworth, Lakeshore Foundation’s Chief Research and Innovation Officer, joined CAF to explain how comprehensive testing can help athletes better understand their bodies, improve their training, and make informed performance decisions.
Kyle Stepp, the 2026 USA Paratriathlon National Champion in the PTS2 classification and Americas Paratriathlon champion, was invited to the stage. He is also working toward representing Team USA at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Kyle received an all-expenses-paid Sports Science and Performance Center Athlete Residency Scholarship, which includes comprehensive performance testing and individualized support in strength and conditioning, mental performance, and sports nutrition, followed by six months of personalized virtual programming.
Accepting the scholarship, Kyle reflected on the realities many elite para-athletes face as they pursue ambitious goals.
“You’re at a tipping point. I wish I had more support. It’s a lonely journey, and when you don’t have the support or resources from your governing body, you’re looking elsewhere and it’s hard,” he shared. “This scholarship makes me really excited.”
The afternoon also brought the debut of Move as One, CAF’s featured brew created through Athletic Brewing’s Impact Brew program.
Ryan Fentin-Thompson joined a representative from Athletic Brewing to discuss how the program uses the company’s platform to elevate organizations and communities making a difference. Move as One offers a creative new way to introduce more people to CAF’s mission and the athletes at its center.
Guests were invited to visit the Athletic Brewing booth, see the Move as One can, and learn more about the program and its connection to CAF’s work.
Before the community gathered at the finish line, CAF celebrated one final tradition.
Longtime CAF champion Paul Webb was recognized for years of riding and fundraising on behalf of athletes with physical disabilities. To date, he has raised more than $315,000, and his goal is to continue riding and fundraising for CAF until he turns 80 in 2033.
Surrounded by the CAF community, Paul climbed back onto his bike and received a spirited send-off as he began the next part of his journey.
Among the many groups that helped make this year’s SDTC events so impactful, the CAF Cycling Club once again demonstrated the extraordinary power of community-driven fundraising. Through their dedication and commitment to expanding access to sport, CAF Cycling Club members have raised $605,976 to date.
For months, CAF Cycling Club members trained together, fundraised on behalf of CAF athletes, shared CAF’s mission with their networks, and supported one another along the way. Their efforts will help more athletes with physical disabilities access the equipment and opportunities they need to pursue sport.
Every athlete arrived with a different story, a different goal, and a different path through sport. But no one reached the finish alone.
The 2026 San Diego Triathlon Challenge fueled by Toyota was more than a day of sport. It was a celebration of access, determination, generosity, and belonging. It showed what can happen when a community comes together to remove barriers and give more people with physical disabilities the opportunity to experience the power of sport.
That is what the Challenged Athletes Foundation is all about.
That is Power in Motion.
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