New World, New Goals: The CAF 2020 Community Challenge

There’s no question about it: the pandemic has not only upturned our race seasons, it’s also taken away the very purpose for many of us to train. Goal Setting is a human condition, and for many, that drive to work hard has been replaced with trying to find that self-motivation to put in work.

But does our drive to train hard need to be “self” motivating? What if it were “selfless-motivating”? What if the thing that motivates us were greater than ourselves? The Challenged Athletes Foundation has provided us just the carrot we need, the thing to give us drive: the 2020 Community Challenge presented by Vega.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation has become a well-known bastion of goodwill for differently-abled athletes looking to compete—full stop. With the cost of adaptive sports equipment (think prosthetic running legs, race wheelchairs, handcycles, etc.) running high in cost, it’s been the CAF’s mission to help raise funds to get those athletes the tools they need to perform, as well as provide training opportunities to allow these athletes to reach their potential. And once they can perform, look out; the CAF has helped everyday disabled athletes realize their potential in sport—right up to the Paralympics podium. It’s simply a transformative organization, helping the disabled become fully abled in sport.

One of the CAF’s biggest annual fundraisers has been the San Diego Triathlon Challenge. It’s a relay event with big-name celebrity attendance from both Hollywood (comedian Will Ferrell made a memorable appearance one year) and the world of pro sports, a massive fundraising dinner, and of course a relay half-Ironman distance triathlon. It’s an event that’s less of a race, and more of a rolling party.

Of course, like all other events in the era of social distancing, the CAF had to put the SDTC event on the shelf for 2020. Still, the party will continue with the Community Challenge. Now, instead of a regional event, the Community Challenge is able to expand into a global virtual summit.

Having kicked off August 8th and running through October 18th, the Community Challenge is an event like no other, in a time like no other. Registrants are now encouraged to run, bike, roll, swim or walk, logging the mileage along the way while fundraising. As the miles pile up, registrants can earn special incentive prizes. And it’s all for the greater good.

“We’re really excited about the potential of this event,” says Jason Karavidas, senior business development manager at the CAF. “While the SDTC was amazing, this has the potential for even greater reach, at a time when we are all looking for a motivation, a direction for our energy. The Community Challenge is definitely the place for athletes to goal set, and have it rewarded in an amazing way.

Challenged Athletes Foundation Rudy Project Volantis Helmet 3/4 Front View

To further sweeten the pot for participants, the CAF has pulled in several key partners to contribute special deals for athletes. Rudy Project is proud to have been given the nod to participate in the Community Challenge, and with the CAF, we’ve come up with a special design on our Volantis aero road helmet, with a custom design that matches the CAF’s team kit. “It ties in perfectly with the existing CAF team kit our athletes wear, so it ties the entire outfit together very nicely,” Karavidas said.

A few select CAF athletes will be hand-picked to receive a helmet to showcase for their own use during the event. But participants like you can be a part of this special release as well; with each special edition helmet purchased, Rudy Project will donate 35 percent of the sale to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

“We’re so proud to have Rudy Project along with us for the Community Challenge,” Karavidas said. “Their presence will add immensely to a unique event that we think is going to be just amazing.”


35% of each sale donated to challenged athletes foundation

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