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SUPERFROG Triathlon Announces Partnership with Lance Armstrong, LiveStrong Foundation and Navy SEAL Foundation

CORONADO, CA: SUPERFROG Triathlon, the world's longest-standing half-ironman, is pleased to announce seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has accepted the invitation to race the Sept. 30 event and partner his charity, the Livestrong Foundation, with SUPERFROG Inc.'s charitable arm, the Navy SEAL Foundation, in a post-race Q&A fundraiser, presented by Trident Endurance Sports, LLC.

SUPERFROG Inc. is excited and honored to have Armstrong race, as his presence and the Livestrong partnership will no doubt help raise awareness for and further SUPERFROG's primary mission: to raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation--which supports families of fallen and injured Naval Special Warfare personnel. SUPERFROG is also a long time supporter of the Optimists Club of Coronado and the Islander Sports Foundation.

"In addition to being one of sport's greatest icons, Lance is a great philanthropist and we couldn't think of a better person to help us raise awareness and money for the families whose lives have been forever changed by the Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and the Global War on Terror," said Mitch Hall, SUPERFROG's race director and a retired Navy SEAL and Silver and Bronze Star recipient who served nine tours overseas.

After the race on Sept. 30, Trident Endurance Sports, LLC will host a fundraising Q&A with Lance Armstrong to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Livestrong Foundation from 7-9 p.m. at the Hotel Del Coronado. Entry will be limited to the first 250 guests. One-hundred percent of the funds donated by guests will be split evenly between the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Livestrong Foundation.

In 2011, SUPERFROG donated $45,000 through its Tribute Banner program. This year they are committed to significantly increasing donation.

In 1979, U.S. Navy SEALs created SUPERFROG as a training race for the then brand new Hawaii Ironman. It continues to be run by retired Navy SEALs and is heavily participated in by the Coronado Navy SEAL community.

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world's leading cause of death. With its iconic yellow LIVESTRONG wristband, the Foundation became a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer throughout the world. Created in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the Foundation provides free patient navigation services to survivors with financial, emotional and practical challenges that accompany the disease. Known for its powerful brand -- LIVESTRONG -- the Foundation is also a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people living with cancer today. Since its inception in 1997, the Foundation has raised nearly $500 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.com.

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8 members like this

Comment by Megan E. Warneke on September 24, 2012 at 9:19am: Anyone know how to become one of the lucky 250 to attend??

Comment by eCoronado on September 24, 2012 at 9:25am: Hi Megan, ticket information is not posted yet, but will be on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/415412021840638/ (Trident Endurance Sports)

Comment by Megan E. Warneke on September 25, 2012 at 9:26am: Thanks! Looking forward to all the great events happening this weekend!

Comment by Richard Jackson on September 25, 2012 at 10:22am: It is truly a sad day for sport when the participation of Lance Armstrong in an event is not only allowed, but marketed as a good thing.

Lance Armstrong is an athlete who has been banned from sport for cheating. That he would not even fight the charges against him says a great deal (anyone with even a passing knowledge of anti-doping policy and sport law knows that Armstrong's attempts to take his case to court were also attempts at an end-run around internationally accepted anti-doping rules that have been in place since 2004).

The organizers of Superfrog Triathlon are turning a blind eye to the very negative messages that Armstrong's participation sends regarding doping in sport and cheating in sport. There are many ways to support the Navy Seal Foundation and cancer survivors without also condoning the sort of behavior in which Armstrong engages.

Comment by Megan E. Warneke on September 25, 2012 at 10:32am: Richard, I respectfully disagree. There is zero evidence of Lance Armstrong's guilt except the confessions of two admitted dopers.

People will say what they wish, but there is simply no denying the impact Armstrong has had on not only competitive cycling, but the sport of triathlon as well. He's an inspiration to many and I applaud the directors of SUPERFROG for encouraging his presence and participation in this sporting event this weekend. His presence here will do much good for the Navy SEAL foundation which supports the families of fallen SEALs as well as the Livestrong foundation which serves people affected by all types of cancer.

Really, if one man's participation in an event can do so much good for such worthy causes, I fail to see the downside here. Innocence, guilt and personal grudges do not play a factor here, these beautiful charities are what matter.

Welcome to Coronado, Lance!

Comment by Richard Jackson on September 25, 2012 at 11:25am: Actually, there's probably a lot of evidence of Lance's guilt (and please notice that in my post I never said that he doped), but Lance doesn't want you to see it. If there were no evidence, he'd call on the USADA to release the file.

Armstrong is certainly not the sort of person I'd associate with, nor would I give money to a charity that he's associated himself with. As I mentioned, and as the Superfrog Triathlon organizers point out in the form letter responses they send to anyone who asks about Lance's participation, there are plenty of ways to contribute to the Navy Seals Foundation and cancer survivors without supporting Armstrong's participation in a sporting event.

Comment by Vashek on September 26, 2012 at 8:44am: Before we agree on something let's establish some facts. It is incorrect to say, as Richard wrote, that Lance Armstrong was "banned from sport", it is not about all sports and certainly not about all sport events. Even if we accept the premise of USADA sanctions against him, it is clear that he can participate in sport competitions where USADA/WADA are not part of the sponsoring protocol. There are many of such evens and one of them is Superfrog Triathlon. Second, it is risky to say "there's probably a lot of evidence of Lance's guilt", what evidence is that is still unknown and at this time its worth is speculative as the case file was not yet revealed. Even if revealed, there are several aspects of it that have to be evaluated by the cycling federation UCI and they have the choice of not accepting those sanctions. Therefore, blanket-like statements that he should not be part of sporting events is unjustifiable and shows bias towards radical cut and dry approach.