Changing Lives, One Athlete at a Time

Last weekend, the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) celebrated the grand opening of their incredible new facility, the Deni & Jeff Jacobs Challenged Athletes Center in San Diego, CA. CAF is devoted to helping individuals with physical challenges get involved – and stay involved – in sports. They do so through fundraising, education, mentoring and encouragement, and since 1994 the organization has helped raise over $30 million and grant nearly 5,000 funding requests for challenged athletes needing prosthetics, adaptive equipment and other forms of support.

I was fortunate to receive an early tour of the new facility, a few weeks prior to the grand opening. The images that follow highlight the new center, which celebrates the immense talent and indomitable spirit of CAF athletes and supporters from the moment one opens the door. Special features include:

• An interactive educational facility where one can learn about the willpower, technology and resources required for challenged athletes to participate in sports.
• A multi-purpose Mixing Chamber that allows CAF to host onsite wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, stationary cycling, mobility and many other types of fitness and conditioning clinics.
• The Matrix Training Facility which provides access to adaptive equipment, and teaches challenged athletes how to correctly use equipment found in their neighborhood gyms.
• A state of the art audio visual system graciously that projects CAF’s message of hope and the inspirational stories to the community.

To learn more about CAF – or to participate in one of their numerous athletic fundraising events, click here. Meantime, enjoy the photos and the inspiration they convey!

– Holly Bennett

(click on any image to enlarge)