Kristen Cassarini Shares Her Story

Kristen Cassarini is an Army veteran and Dare2tri athlete. She shared her story for our first-ever Day2Give on July 1, 2020.

I found Dare2tri in 2015. After my injury in 2012, I went from being a lifelong athlete to someone without an identity. People told me I had to move on, that I wouldn’t run or ride a bike, and that I should really work on things like walking without tripping. I showed up at Learn2Tri Camp nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up, that I certainly wouldn’t be able to do a triathlon, and that I didn’t belong.⁣⁣

Wow, was I wrong. There is no such thing as “can’t” with Dare2tri. At my second camp I wanted to try running, but I didn’t really know where to start. By the end of camp, I ran about a half mile with a Paralympian at my side. Crossing that finish line represented so much more than completing an athletic event. It was a moment that changed my life for the better. Dare2tri does more than just help people exercise. It impacts lives. It certainly has changed mine forever.