Northwest Association For Blind Athletes Make Up Majority Of Adaptive Athletes Division At Treasure Valley Triathlon -06/17/24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stacey Gibbins, Vice President of Programs & Services
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes
1444 S Entertainment Ave., Suite 201 | Boise, ID 83709
Local Phone: 1-208-314-7035/Toll Free: 1-800-880-9837
http://www.nwaba.org | media@nwaba.org
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes Make Up Majority of Adaptive Athletes Division at Treasure Valley Triathlon
Boise, Idaho—June 17, 2024— Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) will exhibit ten teams at the Treasure Valley Triathlon on Saturday, June 22, 2024. NWABA is partnering with the YMCA and Boise Adaptive Snowsport Education (BASE) to provide the opportunity for ten individuals who are blind and visually impaired [nearly double the participation from last year] to participate in this annual community event.
Ten NWABA athletes (individuals who are blind and visually impaired), along with thirteen volunteer guides will participate in the super sprint category consisting of a 400-meter swim, 9.6K cycle and 2.7K run. One returning athlete/guide duo have conditioned and are leveling up to the sprint division where they will be tackling a 750-meter swim, 20k cycle, and 5k run. Five athletes expect to see skill development, ease of transitioning, and reduced times as they race for the second year in a row, while six others seize their first opportunity to participate in a triathlon by anticipating completion of all three events.
To prepare the teams for race day, in addition to the participants’ self-training, NWABA held six triathlon training events at various locations around the Treasure Valley. This year, NWABA-guided triathlon training opportunities tripled with the continued desire of blind athletes to develop more advanced guiding, audition, and orientation skills to improve both their skills knowledge and performance. Aside from physical training sessions, NWABA team members consulted with athletes regarding wet suits, other sports equipment and accessories, transition strategies, and risk management procedures. Ahead of race day, the "Boise Crew," [Southwest Idaho athletes and volunteers] look forward to a mandatory logistics meeting at NWABA's second physical office location at 1444 S Entertainment Ave where they will review tactile maps created to represent each event [swim, bike, and run], discuss race day timeframe, summarize items/equipment, decorate 5-gallon buckets used during transitions, and enjoy a pre-race day meal together.
NWABA athletes aren't the only members of the Boise Crew amplifying; volunteer guides for the triathlon consist of volunteers from the community who also attend NWABA's ongoing, seasonal sport offerings throughout the year. Volunteers are being introduced to and/or refining blindness-specific skills such as using tethers, verbal descriptions, and pro-tactile sign to better communicate with members of the blindness community through a sports sequence such as a triathlon, developed for a sighted world. In addition to volunteer guides, both NWABA team members that work out of the Boise office are participating in the triathlon alongside their athletes making this community race one of the most impactful events of the year.
Through the support of the YMCA and race sponsors BASE, Higher Ground, TriTown Bicycles, Velocity Clinical Research, Bandanna Running and Walking, and the Boise community, all adaptive participants’ entry fees are waived. NWABA has recently partnered with the YMCA to afford active, NWABA blind athletes discounted gym memberships at all four Treasure Valley locations. The partnership is a step toward encouraging and promoting independence in terms of lifelong, personal health and fitness for the blindness community right here in our backyard.
NWABA provides life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired, offering their own calendar of events throughout the year in the Idaho community, including hiking, kayaking & paddle boarding, tandem biking, snow sports, and other athletic activities.
About NWABA:
The mission of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. A group of students who were visually impaired formed the association in 2007 to ensure that people who are blind were participating in sports and physical activity. Today, NWABA is a rapidly expanding 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides more than 4,500 program interactions to children, youth, adults and military veterans with visual impairments tailored programming which improves self-confidence and self-esteem, promotes independence, creates an inclusive community of supporters, and builds the skills necessary to succeed in all areas of life including school and employment.