EntSun News

Popular on EntSun


Similar on EntSun

Team USA Paralympic Medalist Mohamed Lahna Starts Historic Triathlon Across America on June 13

EntSun News/11094587
Aiming to Raise $250,000 for Charity, Adaptive endurance pioneer begins coast-to-coast challenge with a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan Island

NEW YORK - EntSun -- Paralympic silver and bronze medalist Mohamed Lahna will begin the most ambitious challenge of his career on June 13, embarking on a historic Triathlon Across America: Coast to Coast—an extraordinary endurance journey spanning more than 3,300 miles across the United States while aiming to raise $250,000 for charity. If successful, Lahna will become the first athlete with a prosthesis to complete a triathlon across the United States in this format, setting a new benchmark in adaptive endurance sport.

The challenge will commence with a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan Island, before Lahna cycles approximately 3,000 miles from New York City to Las Vegas, traversing 16 states and more than 100,000 feet of elevation gain. He will then complete the journey with a 350-mile run from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, finishing at Venice Beach, one of the venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, where Lahna hopes to compete for his first Paralympic gold medal.

Through the challenge, Lahna is aiming to raise $250,000 for Save the Children and Challenged Athletes Foundation, two organizations that have played transformative roles in his life and continue to empower individuals and communities around the world. Growing up in Morocco, Save the Children funded the elementary school where Mohamed attended as a child, which set the foundation for his educational development. Moving to the US, Mohamed would then connect with CAF who helped provide a support network of other athletes living with physical challenges.

More on EntSun News
"Throughout my life, people have often focused on what they believed I couldn't do," said Lahna. "This challenge is about showing what's possible when you refuse to let limitations define you. I hope this journey inspires others to pursue their goals, no matter how impossible they may seem.

"But this challenge is bigger than sport. I'm aiming to raise $250,000 to help create opportunities for others through the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Save the Children. Every mile of this journey is about proving that barriers can be overcome and that together we can make a meaningful difference in people's lives."

Supporters can contribute to the campaign and follow the journey at: https://givestar.io/gs/250-triathlon-across-america.

A three-time Paralympian and one of the world's most accomplished adaptive endurance athletes, Lahna has spent his life redefining what is possible. Born with a proximal femoral focal deficiency, a rare congenital condition that left him without a right femur, he was told he would never live independently. Instead, he forged a path defined by resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to overcoming limitations.

Representing Team USA, Lahna won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and previously won a bronze for Morocco at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, while earning more than 30 podium finishes in World Paratriathlon competition. His achievements also include a silver medal at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships and multiple World Triathlon Para Series victories.

More on EntSun News
Beyond elite competition, Lahna has become renowned for his remarkable endurance accomplishments. He swam across the Strait of Gibraltar, completed the iconic Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert, competed at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, and became the first—and still only—adaptive athlete to earn the coveted black t-shirt at Norway's legendary Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.

His journey into elite sport was anything but conventional. Lahna received his first functional prosthesis at the age of 20, rode a bicycle for the first time at 25, crossed Morocco's Atlas Mountains at 26, and completed his first marathon at 27. Alongside his sporting achievements, he earned a degree in Business Management, built a successful professional career, and is now a proud father of three.

Today, Lahna continues to inspire audiences worldwide through sport, advocacy, and storytelling, sharing a message rooted in perseverance, possibility, and purpose. Through his accomplishments, he demonstrates that limitations can become opportunities for innovation, courage, and growth.

"This challenge represents a monumental undertaking, the size and impact of which is commensurate with the immense heart, courage and sheer iron will that World Triathlon Para athletes display week in, week out, on and off the blue carpet. The swim-bike-run across America will put our ever-growing Paralympic sport and its superb athletes even further into the spotlight, inspiring and motivating in equal measure all who it touches," said Antonio F Arimany, World Triathlon President.

Mohamed is supported on his triathlon across America by project partners including On, Ossur, Celsius, Toyota and World Triathlon and official supporters iGPS, Hanger Clinics, Givestar, Rudy Project, Roka and Jakroo.

Media Contact
Kristina Connolly
kristina@kconnollypr.com


Source: Tri Across America

Show All News | Disclaimer | Report Violation

0 Comments

Latest on EntSun News