CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2026 HEROES OF SPORT AWARD RECIPIENTS CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPACT

October 23 celebration in San Diego recognizes Paralympic champions, advocates, and community leaders expanding access to sport

San Diego, CA, Oct. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) will honor athletes, advocates, volunteers and supporters whose achievements and contributions are expanding access to sport for people with physical disabilities at its 2026 Heroes of Sport Awards on Friday, October 23, at Green Acre in San Diego.

This year’s honorees represent achievement and impact across the CAF community, from Paralympic champions to those working to create greater opportunities for people with physical disabilities to participate in sport.

The 2026 honorees include the Roth family; three-time Paralympian Mohamed Lahna; wheelchair racing champion Susannah Scaroni; Paralympic snowboarding gold medalist Kate Delson; cyclist Michelle Pinard; advocates Nicole Ver Kuilen and Kyle Stepp; nine-year-old multisport athlete Beauden Baumkirchner; volunteer Dennis Pinn; and the Switchfoot BRO-AM Foundation.

Formerly known as the Celebration of Abilities Awards, the Heroes of Sport Awards recognize the breadth of CAF’s community and the many ways individuals and organizations help create opportunities through sport.

“Every honoree has a story that reminds us why access to sport matters,” said Kristine Entwistle, CAF Chief Executive Director. “We see it in an athlete reaching a Paralympic podium, a child catching a first wave and a family whose generosity creates opportunities for generations to come. The Heroes of Sport Awards celebrate those achievements and the community that helps turn possibility into participation.”

The 2026 Heroes of Sport Award Recipients

Jim MacLaren Award
The Roth Family
CAF’s highest annual honor recognizes the Roth family’s multigenerational commitment to helping athletes with physical disabilities pursue active lives. Over 17 years, the family has raised and donated more than $2.3 million for CAF. That commitment began with Duane Roth’s participation in CAF’s Million Dollar Challenge and grew when he introduced his brother Byron to the organization. Today, it extends to Kristin Roth Peterson’s leadership as chair of CAF’s Celebration of Heart and her son’s own fundraising events. Through 14 years of CAF involvement in the Roth Conference, the Roth Ride, introductions to RX3 charity sports tournaments and continued participation in CAF events, the family has brought new supporters into the mission while building a legacy of generosity.

Exceptional Athletic Performance Male Award
Mohamed Lahna (Hayward, CA)
Three-time Paralympian Mohamed Lahna has competed on the world’s biggest stage, earning triathlon bronze at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and silver at Paris 2024. In 2026, he took that same competitive drive beyond the racecourse, becoming the first athlete with one leg to complete a triathlon across America. The extraordinary journey combined a 28.5-mile swim around Manhattan, approximately 3,000 miles of cycling and a final running leg across the desert to the Southern California coast, all while raising awareness and support for CAF and Save the Children. For Lahna, whose journey into triathlon was supported by CAF, the challenge connected elite athletic achievement with a commitment to creating opportunities for others.

Receiving CAF’s Exceptional Athletic Performance Male Award for the second consecutive year, Lahna exemplifies the dedication of a Paralympic medalist and the imagination of an endurance athlete willing to take his sport into new territory. With LA28 in his sights, he continues to pursue excellence while showing how one athlete’s ambition can empower a wider community.

Exceptional Athletic Performance Female Award
Susannah Scaroni (Champaign, Illinois)
For the first time, CAF will recognize two recipients of the Exceptional Athletic Performance Female Award. Susannah Scaroni will be honored for her exceptional achievements in wheelchair racing, including a commanding 2025 marathon season with victories in Boston, Sydney, Chicago and New York, and a runner-up finish in Tokyo. Her sustained success against the world’s best reflects the training, tactical skill, and competitive drive that have established her as one of the sport’s leading athletes.

Kate Delson (San Diego, CA)
San Diego native and two-time CAF grant recipient Kate Delson will also receive the Exceptional Athletic Performance Female Award following a standout performance at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, where she won gold in women’s banked slalom and silver in women’s snowboard cross. Born missing most of the muscles in her right leg, Delson began skiing at age three before discovering that snowboarding, a shared family passion, was a better fit. That early connection grew into a pursuit that has now taken her to the top of the Paralympic podium.

Unstoppable Award
Michelle Pinard (San Diego, CA)
Michelle Pinard has built a life rich in movement, friendship and community while living with cerebellar ataxia. Through numerous CAF cycling events, including three Million Dollar Challenges, she has demonstrated a lasting commitment to staying active and encouraging those around her. Pinard’s impact extends well beyond the miles she rides. Her warmth, enthusiasm and willingness to support others have made her a cherished member of the CAF community. The Unstoppable Award recognizes the determination she brings to her own journey and the confidence she helps others find in theirs.

Trailblazer Award
Nicole Ver Kuilen (Vancouver, WA)
Endurance athlete and advocate Nicole Ver Kuilen will be recognized for her leadership in So EveryBODY Can Move, a national movement working to expand insurance coverage for prosthetic and orthotic care needed for physical activity. Drawing on her experience as an athlete with limb loss, Ver Kuilen is helping mobilize advocates to change state policies and make movement more accessible. The initiative aims to enact legislation in 28 states by the 2028 Paralympic Games, creating a foundation for pursuing nationwide reform.

Kyle Stepp (Albuquerque, NM)
Kyle Stepp will receive the Trailblazer Award for his leadership in So EveryBODY Can Move and his commitment to expanding access to sport and physical activity. An endurance athlete with limb loss, Stepp brings personal experience and a community-centered approach to advocacy. His work helps people turn their experiences into action, supporting a growing movement to ensure that access to appropriate prosthetic and orthotic care allows more people to participate in the activities they love.

Sam Day Rising Star Award
Beauden Baumkirchner (Lake Havasu, AZ)
At nine years old, Beauden is building an active life around sport. A young athlete with bilateral above-knee limb loss, he plays baseball, races his jet ski, and recently began surfing at the Switchfoot BRO-AM. Beauden’s curiosity and enthusiasm for trying new sports embody the spirit of the Sam Day Rising Star Award, which recognizes a young athlete’s dedication to pursuing athletic goals. His story is a reminder of what access and encouragement can mean for a child eager to get in the game.

Volunteer of the Year
Dennis Pinn (San Diego, CA)
A longtime member of the CAF community, Dennis Pinn will be honored for decades of dedication as a volunteer, cyclist and supporter of CAF’s mission. A familiar presence at CAF headquarters, where he volunteers nearly every week, Pinn contributes wherever he is needed, from behind-the-scenes projects to recruiting other volunteers and finding creative ways to support the organization. His impact extends into CAF’s cycling community, where his enthusiasm, humor and commitment have made him a familiar and valued presence. The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes Pinn’s sustained dedication and the many ways he has helped strengthen the CAF community over the years.

Partner of the Year
Switchfoot BRO-AM Foundation
The Switchfoot BRO-AM Foundation will be recognized for helping young athletes with physical disabilities experience the joy and community of adaptive surfing. In 2026, CAF marked its 10th year as a BRO-AM beneficiary, a partnership that connects youth athletes with opportunities to build confidence and skills in the ocean. Through its support of CAF and the inclusion of adaptive surfing at BRO-AM Beach Fest, the foundation helps create a welcoming place for young people to discover sport, connect with mentors and share the waves.

The October 23 awards celebration at Green Acre Campus Point takes place ahead of CAF’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge on Sunday, October 25. Together, the events celebrate the achievements of athletes with physical disabilities and the community helping provide access to adaptive equipment, training and competition opportunities.

For more information about CAF and ways to support its athletes, visit challengedathletes.org.

Media Kit Images

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.

Attachments

• Michelle and Mike Pinard Ride Together
• Beauden Baumkirchner at Switchfoot BRO-AM

Christy Fritts
Challenged Athletes Foundation
858.442.9570
christy@challengedathletes.org