On June 13, Paralympic medalist Mohamed Lahna began one of the most ambitious endurance challenges of his career: a 3,300-mile triathlon across the United States.

Over the next 50 days, Mohamed will swim, bike, and run from coast to coast, covering more than 3,300 miles while raising funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and Save the Children.

The challenge began with a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan Island. From there, Mohamed will cycle approximately 3,000 miles through 16 states before completing a 350-mile run from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, finishing at Venice Beach, one of the venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

For Mohamed, the journey is about much more than endurance.

“This challenge is bigger than sport,” he shared. “I’m aiming to raise $250,000 to help create opportunities for others through the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Save the Children. Every mile of this journey is about proving that barriers can be overcome and that together we can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

A Journey Shaped by Possibility

Born in Morocco with proximal femoral focal deficiency, a rare congenital condition that left him without a right femur, Mohamed faced significant barriers to accessing prosthetic care and sport.

He did not receive his first functional prosthesis until age 20.

What followed was a journey that would take him from first-time athlete to Paralympic medalist. He learned to ride a bicycle at 25, cycled across Morocco’s Atlas Mountains a year later, completed his first marathon, and eventually reached the Paralympic podium.

Today, Mohamed is a three-time Paralympian, a Paris 2024 Paralympic silver medalist, a Rio 2016 Paralympic bronze medalist, and one of the most accomplished endurance athletes with a physical disability in the world.

His accomplishments include swimming the Strait of Gibraltar, completing the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert, racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, and becoming the first athlete with a physical disability to earn the coveted black shirt at Norway’s legendary Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.

Finding Community Through CAF

More than a decade ago, Mohamed attended his first CAF San Diego Triathlon Challenge.

At the time, he was new to the United States and just beginning his journey in sport.

“For the first time, I didn’t feel alone in my disability,” Mohamed shared. “I met others with my exact same condition and saw the amazing things they were doing. There was such a sense of community and I came away knowing that I could do more. I would never say never to myself again.”

In 2011, CAF helped support Mohamed with his first running prosthetic after he connected with CAF Ambassador Sarah Reinertsen. That support helped open doors to opportunities that would eventually lead him to the Paralympic Games and a lifetime of athletic achievement.

Since first connecting with CAF, Mohamed has received multiple grants supporting equipment, training, competition, and sports-related expenses throughout his athletic journey. Those opportunities helped him access the equipment, training, and competition experiences needed to pursue increasingly ambitious goals, from international competition to some of the world’s most demanding endurance challenges.

Over the years, Mohamed has remained deeply connected to the CAF community, supporting fundraising efforts, mentoring others, and helping demonstrate what becomes possible when athletes have access to the equipment, resources, and support they need to pursue their goals.

In 2025, CAF recognized Mohamed with the Exceptional Athletic Performance Award, honoring both his athletic accomplishments and his commitment to helping create opportunities for others through sport.