‘Changing people’s lives’: Challenged Athletes Foundation events return to La Jolla, raising $3.5M

Beyond providing a picturesque location, La Jolla gave support to the Challenged Athletes Foundation in a big way the weekend of Oct. 24-26.

In returning to La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Shores and surrounding areas, CAF presented a series of events that raised more than $3 million to provide equipment, training and mentorship for people with physical disabilities to pursue fitness and competitive athletic activities.

More than 175 athletes, including many with visual impairments, spinal cord injuries, limb loss and other mobility issues, participated in events across La Jolla. Many of them use adaptive equipment such as racing wheelchairs, handcycles and running prosthetics, most of which is provided through CAF’s grant programs.

“Our athletes embrace … who they are and what their challenges are. We all have challenges, but for our athletes, it’s more visible than others,” said CAF co-founder Bob Babbitt.

To kick off the weekend Oct. 24, CAF held an adaptive open-water swim and surf clinic at La Jolla Shores. The same day, 125 participants in the approximately 600-mile Million Dollar Challenge bike ride from Santa Rosa to San Diego arrived in La Jolla, with droves of supporters there to greet them.

On Oct. 25, more than 200 athletes with physical disabilities participated in running clinics, swim clinics and open-play wheelchair tennis and pickleball sessions at venues throughout San Diego.

To end the weekend, CAF presented its signature San Diego Triathlon Challenge on Oct. 26 as participants competed in a 1-mile ocean swim at La Jolla Cove, a 30-mile scenic bike ride and an 8-mile run. There also was a 5K “walk and roll” event, as well as a run for young athletes.

Events were moved to Mission Bay for a few years due to water issues at The Cove, such as large waves that made the swimming events unsafe, but returned to La Jolla this year.

“Our home is The Cove,” Babbitt said. “That’s where we started and it just feels right. It feels like an anniversary or a family reunion. A lot of the athletes and supporters that attend have been with us for years. A lot come from a small town and have never seen someone else with a disability, so they come here and realize there are people like them and a community.”

Though this year’s events raised $3.5 million, Babbitt noted that adaptive sports equipment is getting more expensive — and none of it is covered by insurance — necessitating further donations. For example, he said, a handcycle for people who cannot use their legs costs $15,000-$20,000.

“We started the foundation because nothing for sport is covered by insurance because it is considered a luxury item,” he said. “But getting back into sport can be unifying. There is something simple and powerful about that. We’re here because people underestimate the power of support and that sports make you feel good about yourself.”

Athlete Danielle McLaughlin agreed. The director of patient access and clinical operations for Moores Cancer Center in La Jolla has been an amputee since 2004 following a battle with a rare soft-tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma. She called running “my refuge” and said it helped her find her identity after losing a foot.

“After my diagnosis and becoming an amputee, I felt lost and unsure of who I was in this ‘new’ version of myself,” McLaughlin said. “Sport became a bridge to confidence, allowing me to embrace my new identity. It empowered me to set big goals. Running has been … my constant through life’s challenges. It has carried me through moments of triumph and struggle. … When I run, I feel strong, capable and reminded that I am more than my setbacks, that I am resilient.”

McLaughlin has competed in para-triathlons across the country, completed the New York Marathon in 2018, placed second in the inaugural para-athlete division at the Boston Marathon in 2021 and has competed in the CAF Million Dollar Challenge bike ride.

But with a running prosthetic that is no longer functional, McLaughlin has been unable to run since June. So she applied for a CAF grant to replace it. She was given her new prosthetic at a running and mobility clinic at La Jolla Country Day School on Oct. 25.

“The concept of movement as medicine is something I feel strongly about, so having the right equipment and community is important. … I was really excited to get this grant,” McLaughlin said. “To run again and set goals is so incredible to have that opportunity again. … [It] felt like something that could get me back to who I once was or even better.”

McLaughlin, who is on the advisory board for the inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon on Nov. 16 in Scottsdale, Ariz., said her next goal is to encourage other women to run.

“It’s intimidating, so a lot of people shy away from it,” she said. “So I’ll be there to cheer on the first-time runners.”

She also plans to run in the Los Angeles Marathon in the spring.

Rather than run, some supporters participated by cycling the 640 miles of the Million Dollar Challenge.

Giuseppe Ciuffa, the chef behind the La Jolla-based Candor restaurant and Giuseppe Fine Catering, has volunteered with CAF for more than 20 years and rode in this year’s Challenge, which takes seven to eight days to complete.

“It’s the best week you can ask for,” he said. “I love that I get to talk with other athletes and it’s a very social experience and very fun. … It’s a lot of cycling, a lot of self-discovery and a lot of socializing, a lot of discovering how people with different abilities are so strong and so motivated. That’s what brings me back every year. Some of the most amazing people I have met are through CAF.”

“For San Diegans, it’s something people should be proud to be part of,” Ciuffa added. “This is changing people’s lives.”