When you donate to the Challenged Athletes Foundation, you’re helping build a full pathway to movement—one that stretches from first steps and early confidence to start lines, finish lines, and lifelong community. Your support funds the essential pieces that make progress possible: equipment, coaching, travel, mentorship, and year-round opportunities to stay active and connected.

For more than 30 years, CAF has expanded access to sport for people with physical disabilities. Since 1994, the organization has raised more than $191 million and fulfilled over 52,000 grants across all 50 states and 70+ countries. Each year, another 60,000 individuals are reached through competitive athletics, clinics, mentoring, and community programs that help athletes discover what movement can unlock.

When you give, you’re not just helping someone try a sport. You’re helping them find confidence, connection, and a community that keeps showing up long after the first race or first wave.

Equipment: The First Gateway to Independence

Specialized, adaptive sports equipment is often the biggest barrier to participation. Running blades, racing chairs, handcycles, mono-skis, and sport prostheses unlock movement but are costly and rarely covered by insurance. Your gift helps ensure athletes receive the right gear at the right time, fitted by experts who understand both technology and athlete needs.

At CAF clinics, led by elite coaches and CAF Ambassadors, athletes learn new skills safely and build confidence through hands-on practice. Improvements appear quickly: stronger form, safer technique, and a renewed sense of possibility.

Travel: Removing Barriers to the Start Line

For many athletes, getting to practices, competitions, or training camps is the hardest step along with maintaining active lifestyles. Airfare, lodging, and registration fees add up quickly, especially for families balancing medical costs or navigating new life circumstances. CAF also accepts vehicle donations, whether for cash resale value or for athlete’s use.

Travel grants funded by donors ensure athletes can show up, compete, learn, and grow. Being at the start line is more than a logistical victory—it’s an affirmation that the athlete and their goals matter.

Mentorship: Community That Lasts Beyond One Season

Mentorship is a cornerstone of CAF’s impact. Athlete-to-athlete support shortens the learning curve, increases self-esteem, builds emotional resilience, and provides real-world guidance from people who understand both the challenges and the breakthroughs of returning to sport.

This steady connection—before, during, and after competitions—helps athletes stay engaged, motivated, and supported year-round.

Stories That Show the Full Journey

JJ Reeder: Rediscovering Courage Through Community

After a shark attack in the Florida Keys led to a below-knee amputation, JJ Reeder focused on getting back to the ocean. With CAF support, he joined surf clinics and community events that rebuilt skill and confidence. JJ says standing up on a wave again made him feel like himself—and helped him find the courage to keep moving forward.

Mike Coots: Turning Challenge Into Leadership

At 18, Mike Coots lost his right leg to a tiger shark while bodyboarding in Hawaii. CAF supported his return to surfing and competition, ultimately helping him reach the podium at the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships. Mike often shares that CAF gave him a platform to turn a difficult experience into purpose—and to guide the next generation of athletes.

Heidi Pearson: Progress You Can Measure in Every Mile

A 2019 rollover accident caused a T11 spinal cord injury, but Heidi’s competitive spirit stayed strong. Through CAF Idaho, she discovered sled hockey, handcycling, and paratriathlon, receiving the support needed to train and race safely. Heidi reflects that progress shows up in every lap and mile, and that surrounding herself with a motivated community keeps her moving forward.

Brooklyn Gossard: Movement Without Limits

Diagnosed with transverse myelitis at 15 months, Brooklyn has navigated paralysis since infancy. With CAF Idaho, she explored wheelchair tennis, WCMX, and now handcycling—pursuing bold goals including completing 100 triathlons. Brooklyn shares that CAF expanded her world, bringing new friends, encouragement, and a growing sense of what’s possible.

Year-Round Support

CAF’s impact doesn’t stop after a single grant or clinic. Athletes receive ongoing support through:

• Seasonal clinics in running, cycling, swimming, wheelchair sports, winter sports, surfing, and more
• Guidance on maintaining and replacing adaptive sports equipment
• Peer mentorship and ambassador programs
• Community events that celebrate inclusion and connection

This is not a one-time moment. It’s a pathway with many entry points—and no expiration date.

How You Can Help Right Now

If you’re considering where your donation can make the biggest difference, you can choose the impact that matters most to you:

• Fund a piece of essential equipment
• Underwrite a clinic led by expert coaches
• Provide a travel grant to help an athlete reach the start line
• Support mentorship and community building
• Give once—through endowments or charitable donation—or monthly
• Start a fundraiser and engage your community
• Check whether your employer matches charitable contributions

The return on your gift is measured in miles and moments. Independence grows. Health improves. Confidence and self-esteem carry into school, work, and home. From first steps to finish lines, your gift moves everything forward and enhances the quality of life for each an every one of our athletes.