Seventh Annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon Announces Partnership with Challenged Athletes Foundation

PHLYTRI Athletes Encouraged to Join Team CAF to Raise Funds for Physically Challenged Athletes

ITU World Champion, “The Amazing Race” star and CAF Athlete Sarah Reinertsen to lead Team CAF at PHLYTRI

March 14, 2011 (Philadelphia, PA) – The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon (PHLYTRI), one of the featured events in the Life Time Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup, has announced a new partnership for 2011 with Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF), a world leader in empowering physically challenged athletes to find success in sports – and in life.

Established in 1997, Challenged Athletes Foundation provides opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics.  PHLYTRI athletes who register to join Team CAF receive a race entry and VIP benefits including a CAF triathlon uniform, training t-shirt, race belt, water bottle, access to VIP hospitality tent hosted by Philadelphia Insurance Companies and more. To register for Team CAF at PHLYTRI or for more details, visit http://TeamCAFPHLYTri.kintera.org.

Team CAF will field a team of ambassador athletes at the PHLYTRI lead by Sarah Reinertsen, 2009 ITU Paratriathlete World Champion and the first woman on a prosthetic leg to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona.  Reinertsen, who also starred in CBS’s Emmy award winning TV series “The Amazing Race”, will be joined in Philadelphia by other CAF athletes including Scout Bassett, Willie Stewart and Nick Roumonada. For more information on these CAF athletes, visit http://bit.ly/CAFathletes.

“Along with our title sponsor, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, a long-time CAF supporter, PHLYTRI is proud to welcome Challenged Athletes Foundation as one of our charitable partners for 2011,” said Richard Adler, CEO, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC. “As one of the top triathlons in the country, PHLYTRI encourages our athletes to join Team CAF and support their mission of providing physically challenged athletes every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.”

“The first time I witnessed challenged athletes competing in a triathlon was at CAF’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge ten years ago. I was blown away and moved to tears,” said Timothy Maguire, Senior Vice President, Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Member, CAF Board of Directors. “It inspired me so much that I felt that I needed to come back and share this with my office and the employees at PHLY Insurance. Many of us who are able-bodied tend to take our healthy bodies for granted, but for the physically challenged individuals that are able to get out there and participate in the sports they love brings so much joy to their lives. CAF helps make these opportunities possible. When I see what challenged athletes have accomplished, it inspires me to push harder to achieve my goals and get others to do the same.”

Team CAF joins long-standing PHLYTRI charitable partners, The Cancer Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which benefits greatly from the Karr Barth CHOP Charity Challenge, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training® program and the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation endurance program. In 2011 PHLYTRI is also expanding its Philadelphia area community partnerships to include the Fairmount Park Conservancy and The Cadence Cycling Foundation.

Founded in 2005, the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon is one of the largest and most popular triathlons in the country.  Held in the city’s historic Fairmount Park, the race was named a top-five triathlon in the United States by Outside Magazine, was lauded as one of the top big city triathlons by Inside Triathlon Magazine, and named one of the “10 Greenest Races” by Triathlete Magazine. For more information on the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon visit www.PhillyTri.com.

The Life Time Triathlon Series is the oldest and most prominent series of international-distance triathlon events in the United States. The main event of the Life Time Series is the premier Race to the Toyota Cup, which challenges the world’s top professional triathletes to battle for points and a chance to win the coveted Toyota Cup. The 2011 Series consists of seven events, including stops in Miami, Austin, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas. Additional information about the Life Time Triathlon Series and Race to the Toyota Cup can be found at racetothetoyotacup.com.

Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a world leader in helping individuals with physical challenges get involved – and stay involved – in sports.  CAF believes that participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.  Since 1994, more than $30 million has been raised and almost 5,000 funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear:  give those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.  To learn more, log on to www.challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.

Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC

Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC is a leading multi-sport race production and management company.  Based in Wayne, PA, Philadelphia Triathlon owns and produces the highly-regarded Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon — named a top triathlon in the U.S. by Outside Magazine and Inside Triathlon Magazine; the SheRox Triathlon Series – the fastest growing women’s triathlon series in the country; and Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains — one of the newest Ironman 70.3 races in the global Ironman Series.  Known for producing high quality races, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC also provides management and race operation services for additional endurance sporting events.  For more information, please visit www.PhillyTri.com.

About the Life Time Triathlon Series

Since 2006, the Life Time Triathlon Series has connected some of the most prominent international-distance triathlon events in the United States.  Throughout the Series, the world’s top professional triathletes battle for points and a chance to win the coveted Toyota Cup. In 2011, the Series consists of seven events, including: the April 10 Nautica South Beach Triathlon (Miami); the May 30 Capital of Texas Triathlon (Austin); the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon June 26; the July 9 Life Time Fitness Minneapolis Triathlon; the Life Time Fitness Chicago Triathlon August 28; the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon September 25; and the October 2 Toyota U.S. Open Championship (Dallas). For more information on the Life Time Triathlon Series and the Race to the Toyota Cup visit www.racetothetoyotacup.com.