USA Triathlon Foundation Announces 2018 Grant Awardees

The USA Triathlon Foundation today announced 38 grant recipients who will share $100,000 in 2018 grant funding to support underserved youth, athletes with disabilities and Olympic dreamers — the Foundation’s three focus areas.

The grant awardees, selected through an application process, each reflect the USA Triathlon Foundation’s mission of transforming lives by opening pathways to triathlon for all — particularly those for whom it may not otherwise have been possible. The Foundation’s annual grants ensure that the next generation of aspiring young triathletes and paratriathletes enjoy the same opportunities and experiences as the many donors who made this funding possible.

The 2018 grants bring the USA Triathlon Foundation’s total charitable giveback to nearly $1.9 million since its inception. That number includes not only annual support for grassroots organizations across the country but also ongoing grants that drive impactful USA Triathlon initiatives such as the USA Triathlon High School Program and the NCAA Emerging Sport for Women program.

“Each recipient of this year’s grant funding embodies the mission of the USA Triathlon Foundation in one or multiple ways,” said John Cassimatis, President of the USA Triathlon Foundation Board of Trustees. “By providing opportunities for athletes of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and goals to experience the sport, these programs are the backbone of an inclusive and sustainable multisport movement in the U.S.”

“The USA Triathlon Foundation is proud to award grant funding to so many impactful organizations thanks to the generous support of donors nationwide,” said David Deschenes, who was named the Foundation’s first-ever Executive Director in March. “Our 2018 recipients will introduce hundreds of young people to multisport and its transformative power throughout the year. Still, there were many more worthy applicants than funds to disburse. With continued support from the multisport community, we look forward to increasing the grant pool in the future.”

The 2018 USA Triathlon Foundation Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

• Above the Fold Events & Sport Promotions (Franklin, Tenn.)
• Achilles International (New York, N.Y.)
• Ahalya Lettenberger, Paratriathlete (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)
• Aidan Landrum — U23 Triathlon Podcast (Bogart, Ga.)
• Athletes Serving Athletes (ASA) (Lutherville, Md.)
• Boston Triathlon Kid’s Day (Boston, Mass.)
• Children’s Health/Triple Threat Tough Triathlon Team (Frisco, Texas)
• CORE Foundation (Reston, Va.)
• Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club (Chicago, Ill.)
• Future Stars Youth Triathlon (New Albany, Pickerington and Gahanna, Ohio)
• The Happy Tooth Foundation (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
• International Association of Black Triathletes (Middle River, Md.)
• I-tri: Inspirational Triathlon Racing International (East Hampton, N.Y.)
• Kids that TRI (Littleton, Colo.)
• Kids TRI for Kids Triathlon Series (Indianapolis, Ind.)
• KidzTri3 (Doylestown, Pa.)
• Lincoln Kids Triathlon (Lincoln, Mass.)
• Marquette University — YES3 Multisport Club (Milwaukee, Wis.)
• Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center (Rochester, N.Y.)
• MMTC TriAtholton Kids Tri (Columbia, Md.)
• More Than Sport (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)
• Mullica Hill Women’s Tri Club (Mullica Hills, N.J.)
• New London Recreation Department (New London, Conn.)
• Ochsner Therapy and Wellness for Children (Metairie, La.)
• Point Arena High School Triathlon Club (Point Arena, Calif.)
• Race for Chase — CMAK Sandy Hook Memorial Foundation, Inc. (Monroe, Conn.)
• Racing for Steve-O Foundation (Granger, Ind.)
• Socorro Striders and Riders (Socorro, N.M.)
• Special Olympics New Jersey (Lawrence Township, N.J.)
• Strive to Tri (Fort Washington, Md.)
• Tri 4 Schools (Dane County, Wis.)
• Tri-Masters Sport Initiative Programs (Chicago, Ill.)
• Tuscaloosa Kids Triathlon benefiting Secret Meals for Hungry Children (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
• USA Triathlon Tri for Change (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Vanderbilt Pediatric Rehabilitation (Nashville, Tenn.)
• Wilbur Trimpe Middle School (Bethalto, Ill.)
• Worcester JCC (Worcester, Mass.)
• The Youth Tribe (Des Moines, Iowa)

The programs support a variety of initiatives, including engaging children in lifelong healthy habits; introducing the sport of paratriathlon to physically challenged individuals; and holding camps and events for youth and aspiring Olympic and Paralympic-hopeful triathletes. The funding will help offset the costs of equipment, uniforms, facility rentals, race entry fees, coaching services and more. For additional detail on each of the grant recipients, click here.