USA Triathlon Foundation Names 2022 Ambassador Team

Powered By Newton Running

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 2022 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team powered by Newton Running will feature 90 ambassadors, the largest team to date, the Foundation announced today. Team members are charged with raising funds and awareness in support of the mission of the USA Triathlon Foundation to provide opportunities and encourage multisport participation in their local communities. 

The ambassadors include some of the top age group athletes in the nation and come from 28 states and bring a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds in the sport. Through local service projects, community outreach activities and beginner triathlon clinics, ambassadors will embody the USA Triathlon Foundations mission to transform lives through sport by opening pathways to swim, bike and run to those for whom it might not otherwise be possible. 

The 2022 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team members range in age from 14 to 78 and combined have more than 1,160 years of multisport experience. 14-year-old Caleb Prewitt (Jacksonville, FL) is the youngest person with Down syndrome to complete a USA Triathlon sanctioned triathlon and is making history once again as the USA Triathlon Foundation’s first Youth Ambassador. Jerry Shere (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) represents the team’s oldest member with 33 years of multisport experience. Jerry and his wife, Tove Shere (Cleveland Heights, Ohio), have been avid supporters and ambassadors for the USA Triathlon Foundation for several years. 

Since the Ambassador Team’s inception in 2019, the group has raised more than $130,000 in support of the Foundation’s three pillars — youth, adaptive athletes, and aspiring Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. The 2021 Ambassador team raised $47,000 to further the USA Triathlon Foundation’s mission and in 2020 raised $45,257 and generated awareness and contributions to the USA Triathlon Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund, whose grants ultimately impacted more than 40,000 individuals in the multisport community. The 2022 Ambassador Team is charged with doubling its impact and raising $100,000. 

“We are excited to expand the team this year with our largest group of Ambassadors yet,” said Laura Goodwin, USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team Manager. “This team brings incredible diversity of age, abilities, and experiences within the sport; we want this team to reflect the best and most welcoming version of our sport. The 2022 team includes numerous ambassadors that have been committed to the foundation since the inception of the Ambassador Team in 2019. These returning ambassadors have had a huge impact on the USA Triathlon Foundation and we are so grateful for their continued passion and support. We hope to continue to grow the Foundation’s impact and outreach this year with this incredibly strong and enthusiastic team.”

The team is powered by Newton Running, headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Newton Running has emphasized social responsibility and community giveback as part of its business model since its founding in 2006. 

“We are so honored to be the Footwear Partner for the USA Triathlon Foundation Team for 2022,” said Wendy Lee, Director of Global Sales and Philanthropy for Newton Running. “The ability to give back to the triathlon community is something we don’t take lightly. We are excited to hit the road running this year with the Foundation Ambassadors.”

Ambassador team members will participate in service projects onsite at the Toyota Legacy Triathlon and Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships in Long Beach, California, July 16-17; and the Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee Aug. 6-7. Service projects will support local triathlon communities and multisport-focused charities in each host city.

Additionally, ambassadors will raise a minimum of $1,000 each for the USA Triathlon Foundation. That funding will go toward deserving individuals and organizations in the multisport community in support of the Foundation’s three pillars. Throughout the triathlon season, ambassadors will also share the mission and vision of the Foundation through personal stories on their social media channels.

For more information about the ambassador team, to become an ambassador, or to make a donation to the USA Triathlon Foundation, visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.

2022 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team Powered by Newton Running

2022 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassadors
Malek Amrani (Encino, CA) 
Kimee Armour (Auburn, IL) 
Ismar Avdic (Redondo Beach, CA) 
Daniella Barrera (Los Angeles, CA) 
Linda Bayne (Sarasota, Fl) 
Lyndze Blosser (Grand Rapids, MI) 
Matthew Bonn (Knoxville, TN) 
Christian Botting (Boulder, CO) 
Susan Brashear (Highlands Ranch, CO) 
Joni Briganti (Spotsylvania, VA) 
Candace Brown (Raleigh, NC) 
Doug Busken (Denver, CO) 
Brad Butler (Vermilion, OH) 
Sharon Byun (Gainesville, FL) 
Carol Coram (Seattle, WA) 
Allison Cotten (Ludington, MI) 
Devon Dabney (Atlanta, GA) 
Remigia Davis (Washington, DC) 
Becky DiSorbo (Henderson, NV) 
Sean Downes (Morristown, NJ) 
David Federspiel (Niagara Falls, NY) 
Debbie Fratrik (Boynton Beach, VL) 
Kevin O. Gaston (Atlanta, GA) 
Jeffrey Gill (Houston, TX) 
Heather Goyette (Franklin, TN) 
Kirby Adams Grantz (Louisville, KY) 
Chip Grizzard (Lawrenceville, GA) 
Steve Gunther (Excelsior, MN) 
Wiebke Hannigan (Sykesville, MD) 
Alex Hedvat (Encino, CA) 
Suzy Heffernan (Cutchogue, NY) 
Shelly Henderson (Hauser, ID) 
Jason J Henry (Midland, MI) 
Michael Hooper (Dallas, TX) 
Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda (Los Angeles, CA) 
Alejandro Kaed (Miami, FL) 
Sarah Kerr (Oak Ridge, TN) 
Kimberly Townsend (Fort Wayne, IN) 
Jeff LaFerla, OD FAAO (Weatherby Lake, MO) 
Sophia Lattimore (Gaithersburg, MD) 
Lawrence Lopez (Glendale, AZ) 
Steve Lovelace (Edmond, OK) 
Pablo Luna (Tampa, FL) 
Jordan Marshall (Fort Wayne, IN) 
Wade McNair (Knoxville, TN) 
Kim Michael-Lee (Bloomingdale, IL) 
Sydney Miyatake (Los Angeles, CA) 
Emily Morrison (Griffith, IN) 
Christy Murrell (Waterford, VA) 
Christopher Myers (APO, AE) 
Jen Myers (Chesapeake, VA) 
Chris Navin (Chicago, IL) 
Kristen Neimeth (New York, NY) 
Stef Nemeth (Chattanooga, TN) 
Billie Pate (Upland, CA) 
Cheryl Perry (The Woodlands, TX) 
Steph Popelar (Elizabeth, CO) 
Caleb Prewitt (Jacksonville, FL) 
Miriam Raviv (Austin, TX) 
Michael Read (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Sue Reynolds (Bloomington, IN) 
John Rhodes (Daniel Island, SC) 
Kara Ringo (Charlotte, NC) 
Jenna Rings (Florence, AZ) 
Cruz rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA) 
Alexandra Rosen (Fairfax, CA) 
John Royson (Albany, CA) 
Jess Saalfield (Arlington, VA) 
Jeff Schreiber (Sandy, UT) 
Tove Shere (Cleveland Heights, OH) 
Jerry Shere (Cleveland Heights, OH) 
Michael "Dreamchaser" Smith (Mckinney, TX) 
Gillian Staudt (Sunnyvale, CA) 
Cherilyn Suiter (Arlington, WA) 
Khem Suthiwan (Denver, CO) 
Maria Tancredi Seiler (Rye, NY) 
Lisa Thomas (Houston, TX) 
Kimberly Townsend (Fort Wayne, IN)
Chris Valerian (Glen Ridge, NJ) 
Steve Van Wart (Scottsdale, AZ) 
Alberto Vivas (Houston, TX) 
Logan Washburn (Royersford, PA) 
Natalie Williams (Clermont, FL) 
Dave Wilson (Tampa, FL) 
Chris Wodke (Milwaukee, WI) 
Kelly Worrell (Cherry Hill, NJ) 
Paul Yankey (Colorado Springs, CO) 
Ross Young (Austin, TX) 
Robin Zehnder Muskopf (Powell, OH)
Carlos Zepeda (Charlotte, NC)

Team Manager
Laura Goodwin (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Triathlon Foundation Development and Program Coordinator

About the USA Triathlon Foundation
The USA Triathlon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the charitable arm of USA Triathlon. With its mission to transform lives through sport by providing opportunities to swim, bike and run, the Foundation serves to generate a greater impact on the multisport community through charitable giveback and grants that advance the Foundation’s three pillars: (1) Encourage youth participation; (2) Inspire adaptive athletes; and (3) Ignite Olympic and Paralympic dreams. Since the Foundation was established in 2014, it has provided millions in grants to organizations and individuals in pursuit of its mission and pillars to create a healthier United States through triathlon. To learn more about the Foundation and get involved, please visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

About Newton Running
Newton Running creates performance shoes specifically for runners and outdoor recreationists. The brand, which is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, was built and is operated by runners for runners and strives to help athletes improve their form and abilities. Newton Running is a purpose driven company with a commitment to social and environmental accountability. Learn more about Newton Running at newtonrunning.com.