Triangle resident, recent Duke University graduate, lower-leg amputee and soon-to-be University of North Carolina medical school student Kelly Bruno also is a newly crowned national triathlon champion. Maybe she'll become a world champion, too.
Bruno won the division for her physical impairment at the Accenture USA Triathlon Paratriathlon National Championships held Sunday, July 26, on the New York City Triathlon course, according to a USA Triathlon news release.
Bruno, who says on her Web site that she lost her lower right leg to a birth defect when she was 6 months old, had a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, 57 seconds over the course, which consisted of a 1.5 swim in the Hudson River, 40k bike along the Westside Highway and a 10K run through Central Park.
Bruno competed in the Female PC 5 category for athletes with leg impairments, specifically below-the-knee amputees. Athletes in this category must ride a bicycle and run with prosthesis or crutches, according to the USA Triathlon release.
Sunday's competition drew 53 athletes, the most ever at a paratriathlon event worldwide, USA Triathlon said, and every athlete completing the course in less than 4 hours qualified for the world championships in Australia later this season.
(Kelly Bruno was mentioned in an Aug. 17, 2008, story in The News & Observer headlined "Young amputees leap over limits.")
Paratriathlon national champions by category (category descriptions are below)
Women
PC 1: Minda Dentler, New York, NY 3:31:37
PC 2: Sandy Dukat Denver, CO 3:03:06
PC 3: Beth Price, Headland, AL 3:24:18
PC 4: Robin Caruso, Ridgefield, CT 2:39:19
PC 5: Kelly Bruno, Durham, NC 2:37:57
PC 6: Ivonne Mosquera, New York, NY 3:00:48
Men
PC 1: Oscar Sanchez, San Diego, CA 2:14:30
PC 2: Matt Perkins, Boise, ID 2:54:20
PC 3: Dave Linn, Franklin, NC 3:03:33
PC 4: Joel Rosinbum, Portland, OR 2:27:16
PC 5: JP Theberge, Carlsbad, CA 2:13:17
PC 6: Aaron Scheidies, Seattle, WA 2:02:15
Competition Categories
TRI 1 - Handcycle: Paraplegic, Quadriplegic, Polio, Double Leg Amputee. Must use hand-cycle and racing wheelchair on run.
TRI 2 - Severe Leg impairment: Above-knee Amputees. Athlete must ride bicycle and run with above knee (or similar) prosthesis or crutches.
TRI 3 - Les Autre: Includes athletes with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Double Leg Amputee (runners) or Paralysis in multiple limbs. Must ride a bicycle and run. (May use braces or prosthesis)
TRI 4 - Arm impairment: Including Above and Elbow Amputees or "impairment" in one or both upper limbs. Athletes may use prosthesis, brace or sling on the bike and/or run.
TRI 5 - Leg impairment: Below-knee amputees. Athlete must ride bicycle and run with prosthesis or crutches.
TRI 6 - Visual Impairment: Legally Blind. (20/200 vision with best corrective vision). A handler of the same sex is mandatory throughout the race. Athlete is tethered during the swim. Athlete uses a tandem bicycle and may be tethered during the run.
