Boise, ID, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In one of the country’s most active outdoor recreation communities, eleven Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) athletes will compete at the 2026 IRONMAN® 70.3® Boise on Saturday, July 25, following the CAF-Idaho Kids Paratriathlon Camp held the day before race day for youth individuals with physical disabilities. Together, the weekend will showcase the full pathway of adaptive sport, from young athletes learning the fundamentals of swim, bike and run to CAF athletes taking on one of endurance sport’s premier race experiences.
Boise has a deep connection to the IRONMAN 70.3 race community, having hosted the event from 2008 to 2015 before welcoming the race back in 2025 after a nearly decade-long hiatus. Now in its second year back on the circuit, IRONMAN 70.3 Boise continues to build momentum as a signature endurance event in Idaho’s capital city and, in 2026, joins the IRONMAN Pro Series, bringing added visibility to Boise’s outdoor culture and world-class race setting.
The weekend is part of CAF’s ongoing partnership with The IRONMAN Group and The IRONMAN Foundation, a national collaboration focused on increasing access, visibility and participation in paratriathlon and adaptive sport. Through this partnership, CAF and IRONMAN are creating more opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in premier race experiences, while introducing young athletes to multisport in supportive and inclusive environments.
“IRONMAN 70.3 Boise is more than a race weekend for CAF. It is a chance to show what access, training and community can make possible,” said Bob Babbitt, co-founder of the Challenged Athletes Foundation and IRONMAN Hall of Famer. “From youth athletes experiencing paratriathlon for the first time to seasoned CAF athletes taking on the 70.3 course, this weekend reflects the full pathway of adaptive sport.”
While some athletes will take on the full 70.3-mile course, while others will participate as part of relay teams, each representing CAF’s mission to remove barriers and expand access to sport for people with physical disabilities.
The eleven CAF athletes currently scheduled to race in Boise include:
- Meira Nelson — Nelson is a paratriathlete with paraplegia and part of CAF-Idaho’s growing adaptive sports community. Her race represents the power of local access, training and community to open doors in endurance sport.
- Joshua Sweeney — Sweeney is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, bilateral above-knee amputee and Paralympic gold medalist who turned recovery into a world-class athletic career. A CAF Ambassador, he continues to push limits across paratriathlon, cycling and winter sport.
- Gia Strang — Strang is a CAF swim coach, dedicated volunteer and Mission43 member who helps create opportunities for athletes across the Boise adaptive sports community. Her participation reflects the spirit of service and inclusion behind CAF-Idaho’s impact.
- Willie Stewart — Stewart is a CAF Ambassador, Paralympic medalist and endurance sport pioneer who lost his left arm in a construction accident. A four-time IRONMAN finisher and longtime mentor, he continues to show what is possible through grit, humor and heart.
- Kevin Rhinehart — Rhinehart is a triathlete and stroke survivor who lives with impaired muscle power after a life-changing ischemic stroke. Through triathlon, he has transformed recovery into purpose while inspiring other stroke survivors to redefine what is possible.
- Kelly Worrell — Worrell is a CAF athlete and CAF-Northeast Programs Manager who leads through both lived experience and service. Her story reflects how athletes often become mentors, advocates and community builders for others.
- Emma Meyers — Meyers is a Team USA paratriathlete who competed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the women’s PTS4 division for athletes with eligible physical impairments. Her race brings an elite Paralympic story to Boise’s IRONMAN 70.3 weekend.
- Marina Mears — Mears is a paratriathlete with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that causes progressive vision loss. With support from a sighted guide, she continues to pursue bigger goals in triathlon.
- Casey Watson — Watson is a paratriathlete with a limb difference who has found success across triathlon and running. From IRONMAN 70.3 events to the Boston Marathon para division, he represents the competitive pathway CAF helps make possible.
- Brian Polinchock — Polinchock is a triathlete recovering from a near-fatal snowboarding accident that caused nerve damage and loss of function in his left arm and shoulder. His race at IRONMAN 70.3 Boise is a powerful story of survival, resilience and determination.
- Michael Andreason — Andreason is a triathlete with a physical disability preparing for a major year in endurance sport, including IRONMAN 70.3 Boise and the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship.
CAF’s impact will be especially visible on Friday, July 24, when the organization hosts its CAF-Idaho Kids Paratriathlon Camp. The camp will introduce children with physical disabilities to swimming, biking and running in a welcoming environment designed to build skills, confidence and community. The event allows young athletes to experience the energy of race weekend and see firsthand that triathlon is a sport where they belong.
Known as the “City of Trees,” Boise provides a meaningful backdrop for CAF’s mission. With the Boise River, foothills, Greenbelt, parks and trail systems woven into daily life, the city offers a natural connection to adaptive sport and outdoor recreation. That connection is strengthened through the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse, a world-class training, recreation and community hub in Boise that serves as the headquarters for CAF-Idaho, Mission43 and Summit Hyperbarics and Wellness.
Through CAF’s presence at IRONMAN 70.3 Boise, athletes and supporters will help advance CAF’s mission to provide opportunities and support for people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active, athletic lifestyles. Team CAF participants can fundraise in support of adaptive athletes, helping provide access to equipment, coaching, mentoring, competition and community.
In addition, The Experience Oman IRONMAN® Pro Series will make its debut in Idaho this year with some of the sport’s biggest names. With 2,500 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series points and a $50,000 USD professional prize purse on offer, the race represents a critical mid-season opportunity for athletes looking to strengthen their position in the season-long championship race.
For more information about CAF and upcoming programs, visit challengedathletes.org. To learn more about IRONMAN 70.3 Boise and Team CAF opportunities, visit CAF’s IRONMAN Boise event page. For more information on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Boise triathlon, visit ironman.com/races/im703-boise. Media inquiries may be directed to [email protected].
About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group is the world’s largest operator of participation sports with a portfolio of brands, events, media, partners, merchandise, and digital platforms operating in over 50 countries worldwide. A global portfolio consisting of hundreds of events includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150® Triathlon Series, IRONKIDS®, premier running events including the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series and City2Surf®, the UTMB® World Series of trail running, the Epic Series™ of mountain biking including the Absa Cape Epic®, and a collection of road cycling and other multisport races. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, millions of athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. From its beginnings as a single race among friends in Hawai’i, The IRONMAN Group has become a global sensation and collection of high-growth lifestyle brands that inspire people to unlock their potential in life. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about/ironman-group.
About Challenged Athletes Foundation
The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) stands as a global leader in empowering individuals with physical disabilities to embrace vibrant, active lives. CAF firmly believes that engaging in physical activity fosters self-esteem, encourages independence, and enriches quality of life. For more than three transformative decades, CAF has been at the forefront of the adaptive sports movement, catalyzing change and redefining possibilities. Since its inception in 1994, CAF has raised over $200 million and fulfilled nearly 60,000 funding requests from people with physical disabilities across all 50 states and more than 70 countries, impacting another 60,000 individuals annually through its outreach efforts. From providing essential equipment like handcycles to offering mentorship and encouragement, CAF’s mission is clear: to provide opportunities and support to those who aspire to lead active, athletic lifestyles. To learn more, please visit www.challengedathletes.org.
- Willie Stewart Among 11 CAF Athletes Racing IRONMAN 70.3 Boise This Year