Olympic swimmers, Paralympics snowboarders, and karate champions: ASEA powers these kinds of trailblazers and sponsors their daring endeavors. This year, the ASEA sponsored athletes continue to push boundaries and inspire excellence. Here is a summary of their ASEA-powered accomplishments so far this year.
Cody Miller
After his high-profile appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Cody Miller continues to train and compete around the world. In July, he qualified on the 2018 – 2019 USA National Team, which is his sixth consecutive national team. He also qualified for the USA Pan American Games Team. The Pan American Games are held every four years offset with Olympic years and is the second-largest games event next to the Olympics. He accomplished all this even after tearing both of his MCLs in late June.
Breeja Larsen
Olympic swimmer Breeja Larsen has continued to compete in competitions like the 2018 Speedo Sectionals, where she won the women’s 100 freestyle and 200-meter breaststroke. In April, she won two more events at the 2018 Argentina National Championships: the women’s 200 breaststroke again and the 50-meter breaststroke.
In addition to performing at top notch, Larsen teaches an online sports management class at Grand Canyon University. She also mentors young athletes through the Rise Elite program and teaches swim clinics on the side.
Dexter Yeats
Triathlete Dexter Yeats, age 73, has been claiming titles left and right this year. She was named an Ironman 2018 All World Athlete, ranked number one in her age group, made it to the podium at the Coeur d’Alene 70.3 Ironman, and competed at the Whistler Ironman. Next, she’s off to South Africa for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship race!
Cody and Kathy Waite
Team Waite, the biking power couple, has been claiming team and individual medals all year. As a team, they finished in first place in Colorado’s Firecracker 50 by completing 25 miles each, relay style. They also raced the Silver Rush 50 in which Kathy placed second female overall and Cody placed third male overall. Cody placed 13th in the Leadville 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race done at 10,000 feet elevation, while Kathy raced to second place in her age group at the USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships.
Michelle Salt
Paralympic snowboarder Michelle Salt competed in her second Paralympic Games in PyeongChang as part of Team Canada, where she took fourth place. Salt is enjoying her offseason by pushing her limits in other sports like wake surfing. She recently set a personal best on her bike with a 17-kilometer ride at 700 meters of elevation in preparation for master track cycling competitions this Fall.
Micheal DiDonato
Mike DiDonato has a special story. He’s part of the racing duo affectionately known as Team Unstoppable. DiDonato pushes his friend Kyle Brodeur, who is quadriplegic, in triathlons all around the eastern United States. This summer, they’ve been working towards competing in an official Ironman race set for September. Mike and Kyle raced in the Yomechas Triathlon in July, where DiDonato pulled Brodeur in a raft, pulled him behind his bike, and pushed him in a running chair.
Shawn Burke
Shawn has been busy this summer competing in triathlons all around the American Northwest. He finished first in his age group and fourth overall in the Founders Day Trailblazer Triathlon and the 2018 Troika Triathlon. Shawn also dedicated some of his offseason time to travel with the ASEA Advancing Life Foundation to Ecuador to help build a vocational school there.
Ana Mendoza
In June, Ana placed fifth in the Female Kumite category at the Pan American Senior Karate Championship in Santiago, Chile. She’s been busy competing around the world in preparation for the 2020 Olympics.