Press Release
August 6, 2009 Contacts: Kristine Entwistle
Cell: 619.379.3669
Email: Kristine@challengedathletes.org
Lauren Hinton
Office: 858.526.6582
Email: Lauren@challengedathletes.org
Old Roots, New Opportunities:
Helping Challenged Athletes Create New Footsteps
By Retracing the Path of the Original Ironman® Triathletes
San Diego, CA – Travel back in time more than 31 years to where Ironman® was born; the island
of Oahu. The 2009 Hawaii Revisited triathlon will take place this Sunday, August 9 in Honolulu,
Hawaii and follows the original Ironman® course paved by the founders of the sport in 1978. The
race is being held by 1980 Ironman® competitors Bob Babbitt and Rick Kozlowski and benefits
the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) – a non-profit organization which raises funds for
physically disabled individuals who wish to remain physically active.
Hawaii Revisited is a journey through the past in order to better the futures of many physically
challenged individuals. It is a journey created from Oahu’s most demanding endurance events:
the 2.4 mile Waikiki Rough Water Swim, 112 mile Around Oahu bike, and the 26.2 Honolulu
marathon course run. As an individual or part of a relay team, you may participate in a portion of
the event or the entire Hawaii Revisited triathlon. With no cut-off time limits, no crowds, and no
aid stations, it’s just you and the island – testing your limits.
Hawaii Revisited 2009 – Event Details:
Honolulu, HI
August 9, 2009
Swim start: 7:00 am, San Souci Beach
“Hawaii Revisited allows those who love the sport the opportunity to experience the simple
pleasures of Ironman® without the pressure,” says event co-creator Rick Kozlowski.
Over the first five years, the event has raised more than $250,000 for CAF to provide training
and competition grants and adaptive equipment to physically challenged individuals who deserve
the opportunity to continue their passion for living a full and active life.
Special Guests and Honorees:
This year, Hawaii Revisited is being dedicated to the memory of Captain Henry Forest Jr., a
U.S. Marine hero and one of the 15 original Ironman® triathletes who completed the same Oahu
course in February 1978. Forest’s family will be participating in his honor.
This year CAF will showcase a challenged athlete who has gone above and beyond to inspire
others, as well as a local CAF beneficiary. Sergeant Major John Blue will be honored for his
sacrifice to this great country, and Lea Klepees will be spotlighted as a local CAF grant recipient.
John Blue is a U.S. Army soldier who was injured by an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP)
during a tour in Iraq in January 2007. Blue was given different options for surgery, but bravely
chose to have his left leg removed below the knee as it was the best option for him to continue
an active lifestyle. And although Blue lost his leg, he still remains on active duty today and serves
as an inspiration to other soldiers and individuals who have suffered from a physical debilitation
or amputation. Within only a year of his injury, John participated in the Extremity Games, The
Endeavor Games, and completed the run portions of two Men’s Health urbanathlons and the Ford
Ironman 70.3 California in Oceanside.
Also being featured is Hawaii native Lea Klepees, a twenty four-year-old student who was born
with arthrogryposis. Her condition inhibits her ability to use her legs, and on land is limited to a
wheelchair and the support of leg braces. However, it is in the water where she finds joy through
pursuing the sport of outrigger canoe paddling.
Lea, who recently received funding for an outrigger canoe from CAF, is part of Pure Light racing
team, a crew of physically challenged athletes who have won multiple outrigger canoe races. Lea
and her team won every gold medal in the 2008 IVF World Sprints, an international event which
includes both able-bodied and adaptive paddlers from 40 countries. She also took the gold medal
in the 1-man-canoe division. Lea and Pure Light have also been involved in long-distance paddle
races and were the first adaptive crew to participate in the 41 mile Molokai Hoe from the island
of Molokai to Oahu.
For more information, please visit www.challengedathletes.org or call Kristine Entwistle at (619)
379-3669.
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The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a special place where courage has many faces … where perseverance has a
first name … where dreams are nourished and heroes have a home. It is an organization unlike any other in the world.
CAF grew out of a desire to assist one athlete paralyzed in a triathlon. From this modest beginning arose a more
important mission – to make sure people with physical challenges have the same freedom to enjoy sports as everyone
else. CAF believes that participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances
quality of life.
Since 1994, more than $21 million has been raised and more than 4,000 funding requests from challenged athletes in all
50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another
65,000individuals 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 about CAF, log on to www.challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.