Mark Barr

Started: He switched from Para swimming to Para triathlon in 2008. (paralympic.org, 09 Sep 2015) Reason: After graduating from college, he found it hard to keep up with swimming training so he retired from swimming in 2008. However, he was still looking for some type of athletic outlet, so he took up road cycling. His partner at the time was a runner, and she got him into running while he introduced her to swimming. "We signed up for our first triathlon and I did pretty well. A friend told me to try and compete at the Para triathlon nationals later that year in New York City, so I did and ended up winning. Needless to say, I have been hooked on the sport ever since." (Challenged Athletes Foundation Facebook page, 09 Jun 2020; paralympic.org, 09 Sep 2015; teamusa.org, 18 Oct 2012) Awards: In 2019 he received the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability. (usatriathlon.org, 2019) In 2018 he was named Male Para Triathlete of the Year by USA Triathlon. (usatriathlon.org, 2019) Additional Info: OCCUPATION He has worked as a trauma surgical intensive care unit [ICU] nurse at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, TX, United States of America. (tmc.edu, 06 Dec 2016) OTHER STUDIES He studied nursing at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, United States of America. (LinkedIn profile, Jan 2012) OTHER ACTIVITIES He has served as vice president of Catapult, a non-profit organisation aiming to help people overcome their impairments by getting them involved in endurance sports. (teamcatapult.org, 10 Jul 2016)