THE CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION (CAF):
Wasatch Area Race Productions and The Battle at Midway Triathlon partnered with CAF in 2007 to be a race beneficiary for their Operation Rebound Program. All donations brought in during the 2007 BAM fundraiser went directly to CAF, to help fund and offer continued support of their excellent programs like Operation Rebound.

Established in 1997, the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a unique organization that recognizes the athletic greatness inherent in all people with physical challenges and supports their athletic endeavors by providing grants for training, competition and equipment needs. Their mission is to give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love. Many of you have probably seen the notable athletes that CAF has helped, including Sarah Reinertsen, Rudy Garcia-Tolson, and Major David Rozelle. This foundation is truly making a difference in these peoples lives.

CAF recently started a program called Operation Rebound. Operation Rebound provides post-rehabilitation support and mentoring to American soldiers and veterans who have suffered permanent physical injuries as a result of the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This program will provide the next step in their recovery once they have mastered “the basics” needed to return to an active lifestyle. It is CAF's intention to create a valuable resource that these soldiers and veterans can use after they return home – or to their home base. Operation Rebound is here to help them meet their athletic goals, whether it’s finishing their local 5K, trying to make it to the Paralympics or competing in The Battle at Midway Triathlon.

To view a short video clip about CAF Operation Rebound click here

We would like to extened an invitation to all race participants and fellow triathletes to donate to this worthy cause should you feel so inclined. 100% of your donations go to CAF to help continue funding of Operation Rebound. YOUR DONATIONS can help make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in a veterans life, it can be the thing that offers them hope after a devistating wound, and the thing that gets that back to an active lifestyle.

THE BAM 2007 SPONSORED CHALLENGED ATHLETE
Wasatch Area Race Productions and The Battle at Midway Triathlon supported Tech. Sgt. Matthew Profitt as the 2007 BAM Sponsored Challenged Athlete. Matthew trained for and competed in the 2007 BAM Triathlon, which was his first multisport event!!! He was provided with everything needed to train and compete at BAM 2007. From free race entry, a custom training plan, running shoes, a wetsuit, workout apparel...it was all provided by our outstanding Challenged Veteran Athlete sponsors!

We are pleased to say that Matthew passed with flying colors in his first triathlon efforts, conquering that ever daunting swim and challenging BAM run course. We are excited to watch Matthew continue to excel in the sport of triathlon...and look forward to seeing him this next year at BAM 2008! Matthews story follows below:

Reprinted from Citizen Airman
Written by Lieutenant Marnee A.C. Losurdo
Like thousands of other Air Force Reservists, Tech. Sgt. Matthew Profitt is an avid sportsman who leads an active lifestyle. What makes Sergeant Profitt’s involvement in these activities special is the fact that he only has one leg. Despite the numerous challenges his physical condition poses, he doesn’t let anything get in his way or slow him down. On the contrary, the 38-year-old Reservist enjoys life to its fullest. That wasn’t the case four years ago when Sergeant Profitt’s world was turned upside down and he wasn’t even sure if he was going to live.

Deadly diagnosis
In June 2003, while activated a second year to support the global war on terrorism, the sergeant said he noticed an ulcer on his right shin. “It wouldn’t heal,” said the guidance and control section technician with the 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del.

The problem raised a red flag because of Matthew's recent medical history. He had had a non-cancerous ulcer removed from the same area in 2002. Sergeant Profitt wouldn’t be as fortunate this time around. At the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md., a doctor delivered the bad news. The tumor was malignant. Sergeant Profitt was suffering from epithelioid sarcoma, a type of cancer that typically develops in tissues under the skin of the hands, forearms, feet or lower leg.

He went to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for a second opinion, and doctors there recommended that his right leg be amputated to get the rare and aggressive cancer away from his body, he said. “As soon as they told me, I was in shock,” Sergeant Profitt said. “To be told it’s malignant, that I have a 20 percent survival rate and that they have to amputate ... after leaving the hospital, I pulled over to the side of the road and broke down.”

Two weeks later, Sergeant Profitt was on the operating table at Bethesda, where doctors amputated his leg at mid-calf. “I woke up and felt fine. Within three to four days, I was up and moving around with a walker,” he said. While in the hospital, the sergeant met several combat veterans from Iraq who were there recovering from war wounds. “I made a lot of friends,” Sergeant Profitt said. “It made me realize I wasn’t the only person going through this. Some people had three limbs missing. It was inspiring for me to see them overcome their experiences.”

The sergeant was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and within three weeks was learning how to use a prosthesis. Because a variety of high-tech artificial limbs are available, doctors asked him about his favorite activities. They then fitted him for different devices specifically designed to meet his various needs. For example, when he runs Sergeant Profitt wears a flexible prosthesis, a C-sprint, which absorbs impact.

It took him a month to learn how to walk again, but that was only the first battle in his war against cancer. After healing from his operation, Sergeant Profitt went through four months of chemotherapy sessions. He received his last checkup in October 2005 and is cancer-free today. Throughout his ordeal, the one thing Sergeant Profitt didn’t worry about was his job, he said. A 2005 medical evaluation board recommended his continued service in the Air Force Reserve.

“Through it all, there was never any question that I could come back to my job,” he said. “My unit commander, first sergeant and section chief would visit me and make sure I wasn’t having any issues. They lent an ear and were there for support.” His supervisor, Senior Master Sgt. Fred Traute, said he watched Sergeant Profitt’s recovery and was impressed by his attitude. “Through all of this, he maintained a positive outlook and was an inspiration to those who had knowledge of it,” Sergeant Traute said. “He didn’t walk around complaining about it.”

New beginnings
A traumatic life situation can change a person’s outlook on life. Sergeant Profitt’s ordeal with cancer has him living every day like he’s dying. The doctors gave him a one-in-five chance of surviving five years after the surgery and chemotherapy, he said. “It’s changed me a lot. I’m a better person,” he said. “I don’t want to take a moment for granted or waste my days. I didn’t want to be on my death bed saying, ‘I wish I had gone to Park City (in Utah) to snow ski or run a marathon or bobsledded.’ I’m willing to try anything. I’m not afraid of failure.”

He quit his civilian job, where he had worked 10 years, and moved to Park City in the fall of 2006. He volunteers with Disabled Sports USA, the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and the National Ability Center. These organizations fund sporting events and offer sports opportunities to people with disabilities. They also provide training and opportunities to potential U.S. Paralympians. The U.S. Paralympics is a division of the U.S. Olympic committee.

“I know how important sports have been for me as far as goals and a sense of accomplishment. I want to transfer that to the kids,” said Sergeant Profitt, who volunteers about seven hours a week assisting with the NAC skiing and bobsledding programs. “I recently worked with a 12-year-old amputee, and seeing him have the opportunity to go out on the slopes is rewarding,” said the sergeant, who works out three or four times a week. “I like to see young people come back pumped up and smiling. It’s an opportunity for them not to think about medical issues going on in their lives. It’s so important for the psyche of people.”

The 20-year Air Force veteran retired in October 2006; however, his future career goals include earning a degree in teaching, or special education, and becoming more involved with the NAC, he said. His long-term goal is to become a member of Utah’s first disabled bobsled team for the 2014 U.S. Winter Paralympics. The past few years of Sergeant Profitt’s life can be compared to running the New York City Marathon. Despite the hardships, he keeps pressing on, never giving up, unknowingly serving as an inspiration to those watching on the sidelines.

MATTHEW PROFITT'S 2007 SPONSORS:
We would like to thank our 2007 Official Challenged Athlete Sponsors and all they did to help support and get Matthew to the starting line. Without their generous support & donations we would not have been able to make this happen for Matthew!