Athlete's Stories


Athlete's stories on this page:



Carlos Moleda

Carlos Moleda grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. At age 18, he chose a life of adventure, moved to the United States and joined the Navy. His ability to work hard and learn fast eventually won him a coveted spot as a Navy SEAL.

A few years later, he found himself in the middle of an intense firefight in Panama. Nine of the 10 men in his unit were wounded – four fatally. Carlos was hit near his spine and leg, and lost feeling in his lower body forever. Competitive sports proved to be the best way to recover from this traumatic injury. Through an unyielding spirit and a passion for competition, Carlos turned his misfortune into his greatest adventure: becoming a champion.

Today, Carlos is a winner of the 367-mile Sadlers Ultra Challenge handcycle race in Alaska, a two-time National Handcycling Champion and a three-time Hawaii Ironman Champion where he holds the record for the physically challenged division. Carlos appreciates how far he's come. To help others, he serves as a spokesman for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and uses his expertise and motivational skills to teach younger kids with disabilities how to ride handcycles.


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Scout Bassett

Left and alone, Scout Bassett began her journey. At an early age, Scout lost her right leg due to severe burns. Later she was abandoned at a Chinese orphanage to endure hardship, abuse and child labor.

For years Scout hoped for something to change her fate, but her dreams seemed a lifetime away. Then when she least expected it, a miracle occurred and she was adopted by an American family at the age of seven, taking her from an uncertain future to a world of opportunity.

With help from CAF, her parents and prosthetist, Scout actively competes in triathlons. Her relationship with Sarah Reinertsen over the years has also helped her overcome many challenges. In 2007, she qualified and competed in the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Hamberg, Germany, finishing in second in her division of her first international competition for triathlon. She claimed silver again in 2008 at the Vancouver Triathlon World Championships.

Drive, determination, athletics and outstanding academic success has lead Scout to her next journey, attending UCLA on a full scholarship. She's finished her sophomore year and has flourished with strong grades, established a large social network and acts as a Resident Assistant in the dormitories, all the while representing CAF as a spokesperson.

Scout is passionate about pursuing her athletic interests, educating people about the physically challenged and helping raise funds to allow remarkable individuals like herself to live active lifestyles. She is an inspiration for all to follow your dreams and live extraordinary lives. CAF enthusiastically supports Scouts in her athletic, personal and academic goals.


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Rudy Garcia-Tolson

Rudy lives by a simple motto: A Brave Heart is a Powerful Weapon. He was born with rare, multiple birth defects – a combination of crippling Pterygium Syndrome, a clubfoot, webbed fingers on both hands, and a cleft lip and palate. His legs would not straighten from the knee and he was forced to crawl or push himself in a wheelchair. While other kids played outside, Rudy sat and suffered. He was an eager little boy trapped in an imperfect body.

At age five, after 15 operations, he told his parents he wanted to move on; he would rather be a double amputee than continue to put up with what his life had become. He had both legs removed above the knee and he's never looked back. The loss of his legs marked the beginning of his life. When Rudy was eight years old, he told the world he would swim in the 2004 Paralympic Games.

He was true to his word and brought home the Gold in the 200 Meter Individual Medley in 2004 and 2008, while shattering the world record for his class. Rudy continues to swim as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Elite Team. He's completed numerous triathlons individually and was the first bilateral above-knee amputee to finish an Ironman® 70.3 using a standard bike. Rudy has also won several prestigious awards, including the Arete Courage in Sports Award and the Casey Martin Award from Nike. His latest athletic aspiration – to be the first bilateral above-knee amputee to finish the Ford Ironman® World Championship this October in Kona, Hawaii!

Through his example, Rudy has mentored other amputee kids and helped CAF raise more than $21 million to ensure his challenged peers have the same opportunities as he did.


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Trish Downing

As an elite road and track cyclist, Trish Downing "gave back" to the community by volunteering her cycling skills as a pilot for visually impaired riders. Little did she know that an accident in the Fall of 2000 would put her on the other side of the equation.

Trish was training in Golden, CO when she was hit by a car and suffered a T-4 spinal injury. Her back was broken, but not her spirit. Trish's experience working with challenged athletes gave her faith that everything would be okay. From her hospital bed, Trish wrote out her first grant request to CAF – for a handcycle that would get her back on the road … and back into life. Trish understands that her accident was not an end, but a new beginning. And what a new beginning it has been. Trish was named USA Triathlon's Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year for 2003.


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Jake Frank

Jake Frank was born with a rare condition that left him unable to walk. Searching for a way to help their son, Julie and Steve Frank of Hazen, North Dakota, found hope after watching Oprah Winfrey interview Rudy Garcia-Tolson and realized it was very possible for their son to lead a normal, active life.

Inspired after seeing Rudy, Jake's parents made the most important decision in his young life: amputate both legs above the knee and have him fitted with high-tech prosthetics that would allow him to participate in sports. Thanks to CAF's relationship with Ossur, Jake was able to receive a pair of running legs to jump start his athletic dreams.

Today, ten year old Jake is a multi-sport competitor, with a huge appetite for participation in athletics that is matched only by his boundless energy and winning smile.

As a wrestler for the past four years, Jake pinned his way to the top of the podium as a member of his elementary school team. In his "free time" he also swims, rides his bike, shoots archery, and plays baseball, basketball, golf, and runs. In 2005, Jake was named CAF's Rising Star award winner for his level of commitment, dedication and focus to meet an athletic goal. In 2008, Jake finished the entire 1.2 mile swim of the San Diego Triathlon Challenge.

It wasn't long ago that his parents wondered if Jake would ever get the chance to just walk to school like his friends. Now Jake is unstoppable and like his mentor, Rudy Garcia-Tolson, he hopes to eventually compete in the Paralympics.


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Ryan Levinson

When people first meet Ryan Levinson they often do not realize he is a challenged athlete. He is not missing a limb, using a wheelchair, or racing with a guide to help him see. Instead, this world-class triathlete is the first person in history to compete at a championship level despite being ravaged by FSHMD (Muscular Dystrophy), a progressive degenerative muscle wasting disease.

Ryan was diagnosed with MD in 1996 when he noticed some of his muscles rapidly disappearing. Since then, his disease has progressed to the point where he can now no longer hold his arms above his head, do a sit-up, pull-up, or push-up. He has lost major muscles in his chest, arms, back, abdominals, and legs. As his disease progresses, he may become too weak to even close his eyes or move his lips into a smile.

There is no treatment and no cure. No matter how hard Ryan trains he will continue to loose strength and ability. Yet rather than give up, Ryan continues to race with passion and he thrives on inspiring other people to do the same. His motto says it best, "You can't always choose what happens to you, but you can choose what you do about it."

This year alone Ryan helped develop and implement the new physically challenged divisions for off-road triathlons. He is the current chair of USA Triathlon's Physically Challenged Rules and Logistics Subcommittee and serves as the XTERRA Physically Challenged "Ambassador." He acts as a spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and even makes his living as the first disabled Emergency Medical Technician to run 911 emergency calls with the San Diego Fire Department.

Over the past two years, Ryan has competed in more than 20 triathlons and bike races with 15 podium finishes. He was the 2006 XTERRA USA Champion and has twice placed 2nd at the World Championships. All the while he has lost nearly 15 pounds of muscle due to his degenerative disease. Even still, Ryan remains competitive to test himself, have fun, and demonstrate to the world that even if you have a disability that is not immediately obvious, there is a place for you in triathlon.

Ryan plans to continue racing and promoting triathlon while also helping spearhead CAF's new efforts to increase opportunities for challenged athletes in surfing and other action sports.


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Paul Martin

In December of 1992, Paul Martin survived a car accident that claimed his left leg below the knee. What for most would be a crushing blow changed Paul for the better, launching an athletic career that few will ever match – and fewer would even attempt.

Growing up, Paul used sports as his safe place – a tranquil refuge from a tumultuous home life. After his accident, he used sports to transform himself. In the process, he blazed a bright path for other challenged athletes to follow. His phenomenal success at virtually everything he tries athletically provides him with a terrific platform for sharing his story and motivating others.

Here is just a sampling of Paul's achievements: U.S. National teams in four different sports. First leg amputee to complete an adventure race. First leg amputee to complete "the double" – The Ironman Triathlon World Championship and the Xterra World Championship, held on back-to-back weekends. Nine Ironman finishes. International Triathlon Union World Champion. Two Silver medals as a member of the U.S. Team at the World Amputee Hockey Championships. Silver and Bronze medals in cycling at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.

Paul's motto is "do what you love, love what you do." Based on his success, maybe the rest of us should adopt it too.

Born with a condition called sacral agenesis which resulted in missing his tibias, seven year-old Cody McCasland's legs were amputated through the knee when he was just 15 months old. He showed his true colors when only two months later he was walking on prosthetics and mobile like any other kid his age. Eager to run like the other kids, Cody received his first pair of running legs by the age of five and hasn't stopped since.


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Cody McCasland

Cody and the McCasland family were first introduced to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) in 2007 when they attended a CAF Catch a Rising Star mobility and running clinic. He worked with certified prosthetist and gait specialist Peter Harsch and elite challenged athletes at the clinic to improve his running and gait while using his new running legs. Just months later, he entered nearly every track event he could at his first Endeavor Games at the University of Central Oaklahoma. Also an avid swimmer, he brought home several gold medals for his age and classification in both disciplines.

With aspirations of following Rudy Garcia-Tolson's footsteps of competing in the Paralympics in swimming, the possibilities for Cody are endless. But, even at only seven years-old, he's already reached great heights. Over the past five years, he's raised more than $100,000 for CAF and the hospital that provides his care. He's spoken and inspired countless individual through national media exposure on Inside Edition, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Oprah Whinfrey Show; and motivates our wounded warriors with visits to the military hospitals as a spokesperson for CAF.

His smile is infectious. His disposition is always cheerful. And the world is his oyster!


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Evan Morgan, USMC

On January 1, 2005 while stationed in Al Quim, Iraq, on his second tour, Evan’s vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The 23 year-old U.S. Marine Corporal was the only one injured by the blast. As a result, Evan lost his right leg above the knee, his left leg below the knee and his sight in one eye. He spent three months at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He was then transferred to the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, TX, as an outpatient.

Evan began to flourish while at BAMC. Shortly after arriving he began walking using Ossur’s Rheo-Knee, and married to the “love of his life” Jillian. He became a regular at the gym and even began running. Something had changed in Evan. He was active prior to the injury, but now activity became a necessary part of his life. “You can’t change the past,” said Evan, “so you do what you Can with what you’ve been given.”

In 2006, Evan did the swim portion of the San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC). Recently, he competed in the swim and handcycle portions of the California Ironman 70.3. He hopes that by being active himself, he can be a positive influence and engage others to live active lifestyles. To top his list of accomplishments, Evan recently became a father with the birth of a beautiful baby girl.


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Sarah Reinertsen

Sarah was born “different”. Her left leg deformed by a condition called proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), Sarah wore a stiff, cumbersome leg brace until she was seven. At that point, the decision was made to amputate.

After the operation, Sarah tried to be like all her friends; she was a Brownie. She was a great student. She had a smile that lit up a room. But she could never overcome being “different”. And nowhere was that more apparent than in gym class. She came in last on field day. She was picked last for teams. Teachers and coaches refused to include her in regular play with the other kids. Instead, Sarah would kick a ball against the wall.

Life changed for Sarah when, at age 11, she competed in her first disabled track meet. Sarah lined up next to other girls missing limbs. When the gun went off for the 100 Meter dash, she ran hard and finished first. For the first time, she experienced the thrill of competition – and of winning and her life would never be the same.

Today, Sarah focuses on triathlons, where she has broken new ground and gone where no amputee woman has attempted before – the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii (a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.) In 2005, Sarah became the first woman to finish this grueling test on an artificial leg, finishing in a remarkable 15:05. In 2006, she was the first person with a physical challenge on the hit show, CBS's Amazing Race. Then in August of 2007, Sarah became a World Champion, winning gold in the Physically Challenged Olympic Distance World Championship in Hamburg Germany.

Now Sarah makes a living as a motivational speaker, showing others that no matter your challenge, you can achieve your dreams. She also acts as a CAF spokesperson sharing her knowledge and experience with kids and other challenged athletes.


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Major David Rozelle

Major David Rozelle, a below-knee amputee, is an icon, resource and inspirational figure for American soldiers injured in recent conflicts abroad.


While in Iraq, commanding 140 troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Maj. Rozelle lost part of his right leg when a landmine exploded under his Humvee.

After completing his rehabilitation, Major Rozelle made the decision to return to active duty and to the same battlefield – the first American soldier to do so in modern times. Now having completed a second tour in Iraq on a prosthetic leg, Maj. Rozelle continues to lead by example and is helping his fellow injured soldiers to reclaim active lifestyles. He strongly believes in the healing power of sports to help accomplish his new mission.

After participating in the 2004 San Diego Triathlon Challenge, Maj. Rozelle became a proud supporter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). He serves as a role model and mentor in CAF’s Operation Rebound program. He recently represented the Challenged Athletes Foundation at the Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene and was recognized with the Ford Ironman Everyday Hero Award.

Afterwards, Rozelle was driven to conquer the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona – an important goal he set for himself to prove that he’s not only “back in action,” but back with a purpose. In Hawaii he went over an hour faster than his qualifying time, finishing in 12:46:26.


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Oscar Sanchez

Oscar “Oz” Sanchez was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He joined the Marine Corps in 1996 and became a Reconnaissance Marine. After five years in the Marines, Oz decided to transfer to the Navy to serve as a Navy SEAL. In July 2001, during his transfer between branches, Oz was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury and the inevitable paralysis and neurological complications associated with it. After the accident, Oz's biggest fear was being defined by his injury. As a result, he developed a new sense of direction and vigor for life. He pulled out of his postinjury depression and once again took a proactive approach to living by dedicating himself to education and handcycling.

Oz recently graduated from San Diego State University with a business degree and a minor in public communications and intends to return to school for a masters degree in exercise science. Oz is also an elite handcycle racer. In 2007 he finished his second season with the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team and currently holds “Elite Athlete” status after competing in two World Championship events. Oz is ranked 2nd nationally and is among the top 5 handcyclists in the world and will represent the United States at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.


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