Paratriathlon Resident Team#
Based at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, paralympians and up-and-coming paratriathletes train together in a daily high performance environment under a resident team coach. Starting in 2024, the team will be led by 2004 U.S. Olympian and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic guide Andy Potts.
The Resident Team Program is designed for elite paratriathletes training for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games and may include an Elite Development Training Partner for visually impaired resident athletes. The Resident Team trains in a daily high performance environment. Specific training and competition is tailored to individual athletes needs, while utilizing the daily training environment to maximize group synergy.
“Andy brings an extraordinary wealth of experience as an Olympian, 70.3 world champion, coach, and long-time leader in the triathlon community. His proven commitment to excellence and his passion for coaching athletes to achieve their best make him the ideal leader for this program.” — Scott Schnitzspahn, USA Triathlon High Performance General Manager
Meet the Coach#
Andy Potts
BioA 2004 U.S. Olympian, Potts was an NCAA Division I swimmer at the University of Michigan and placed fourth at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in the 400m individual medley. He then began racing triathlon competitively after college as a short-course, draft-legal specialist on the International Triathlon Union (now World Triathlon) circuit. Just a year and a half after picking up the sport of triathlon, Potts represented Team USA in triathlon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Three years later he won gold at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Potts gravitated to long course racing and became one of the most decorated U.S. professional triathletes, with 32 IRONMAN 70.3 wins, eight IRONMAN wins and six Escape from Alcatraz titles to his name. Potts won the 2007 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and placed fourth at the 2014 and 2015 IRONMAN World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. A USA Triathlon Certified Coach, Potts is the founder of Andy Potts Racing.
In addition to his individual racing pursuits, Potts served as a sighted guide for U.S. Paralympian Kyle Coon at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Meet the Team (coming soon)#
Emelia Perry
Emelia Perry (PTWC) is a Paris 2024 Paralympian
McClain Hermes
McClain Hermes (PTVI) is a 2020 Paralympian (swimming)
Skyler Fisher
Skyler Fisher (PTWC) is a U.S. Paratriathlon National Champion.
Aaron Kamnetz
Aaron Kamnetz (PTWC) bio coming soon.
Lucas Jundt
Lucas Jundt (PTS3) bio coming soon.
About#
Founded in 2018 to serve as the first supported, daily training environment for the best paratriathletes in the United States, the Paratriathlon Resident Team has produced several World Para Series podiums, World Championship podiums, and Paralympic Games medals under the direction of Coach Derick Williamson (2018-2024).
Resident Team athletes won three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games: gold for Allysa Seely (PTS2) and Kendall Gretsch (PTWC), and silver for Hailey Danz (PTS2). The team built on that success last summer, earning four medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: gold for Danz (PTS2), silver for Gretsch (PTWC), silver for Mohamed Lahna (PTS2), and bronze for Mark Barr (PTS2), representing half of the record eight medals won by the U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Team, the best for any country in paratriathlon at a single Paralympic Games.
Primary benefits of the program include:
- USOPTC facility access
- Meals on campus
- Housing on campus
- Daily coached session
- Group training as appropriate
- Strength & conditioning
- Sports medicine
- Sport science testing
- Sports psychology sessions
- Nutritional counseling
- Community outreach
- Media training