Kelly Elmlinger

Name: Kelly Elmlinger
Sport: Paratriathlon
Classification: PTS4
Birthdate: July 9, 1979  
Hometown: Attica, Ohio
Current Residence: San Antonio, Texas
High School: Seneca East High School (Attica, Ohio)
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill '10, Nursing

Career Highlights
2024 Paris Paralympian
2023 World Triathlon Para Champion
2022 Americas Triathlon Para Champion
2021 World Triathlon Para Champion
2020 Tokyo Paralympian, seventh
2021 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Pleasant Prairie gold medalist
2019 Tokyo ITU Paratriathlon World Cup gold medalist
2018 Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup gold medalist
2018 USA Paratriathlon National Championships gold medalist
2018 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships, 5th

Personal

As a sophomore in college, Kelly enlisted as an Army medic, and served ten years with the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Unit. She served three back-to-back deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. After that she was assigned to a special mission’s unit and, at the same time, she earned her degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina. After graduation, she moved to Texas and became an avid runner. In 2013 she took a break from running after experiencing pain in her lower left leg. After a round of tests, she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer. After several surgeries in an attempt to save her leg, she decided to have it amputated. Afterward, she began to try various adaptive sports like running, rowing, and swimming. She competed in the 2015 Los Angeles Marathon and the 2016 Boston Marathon in a racing wheelchair. Elmlinger’s first triathlon was three weeks before getting her first true running leg, after having the desire to get back into running and qualify for the USA Paratriathlon National Championships. Her favorite part of competing in triathlon is having the ability to represent the U.S a second time, as well as camaraderie from teammates and competitors. She has carried many of the skills she gained through her military service into her competitive triathlon career, such as having the ability to be a jack-of-all-trades, having multiple different skills, and having the ability to stay calm under pressure. She enjoys framing competing in triathlons as something fun rather than being nervous about an outcome. She was named the 2018 USA Paratriathlon Developmental Athlete of the Year after winning the 2018 USA Paratriathlon National Championships in just her second triathlon since becoming an amputee. She raced in her first Paralympics at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games, where she placed seventh, racing up a classification as her PTS4 class was not offered. She then ended the 2021 season by claiming her first World Champion title in Abu Dhabi. She'd go on to win her second World Championship in 2023. She qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Unfortunately, due to illness, she was unable to compete.

She has a daughter named Jayden who is her biggest motivator. She enjoys being able to shape her daughter’s perspective and teach her that people with disabilities are able to accomplish the same things as everyone else. Elmlinger’s biggest talent outside of triathlon is cooking, and if she could choose another career, she would open a food truck.

Elite Triathlon Career

2024: Member of the U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Team • She competed in the 2024 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Miami winning overall first.

2023: Kelly opened up her season in Abu Dhabi for the Americas Triathlon Para Championships Sarasota where she placed first overall • She went undefeated in the 2023 World Triathlon Para Series, placing first in Yokohama and Montreal, along with winning her classification at both World Triathlon Para Cup races in Paris and Long Beach • Kelly won the World Championship qualified for the U.S. Paralympic Team in September at the World Triathlon Para Championships Pontevedra.

2022: Started her season by winning at the 2022 Americas Triathlon Para Championship in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida on March 13 • Won in her PTS4 sport class at the World Triathlon Para Series event in Montreal, Canada on July 8 • Claimed the overall silver medal in Abu Dhabi, UAE at the 2022 World Triathlon Para World Championships on November 24 • Was a member of the third-place team in the inaugural exhibition event for Para Mixed Team Relay with fellow U.S. Para nationals Howie Sanborn, Grace Norman and Kyle Coon, which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 26.

2021: Opened the season with back-to-back gold medals at the World Triathlon Para Series events in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15, and Leeds, England, on June 5 • Won the women's PTS4 division at the Americas Triathlon Para Championships Pleasant Prairie on June 27 • Placed seventh at her debut showing at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games on August 28 • Claimed the world champion crown at the World Triathlon Para Championships in Abu Dhabi on November 5
2019: Won the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 9 • Earned silver at the Milan ITU World Paratriathlon Series on April 27 • Won the Yokohama ITU World Paratriathlon Series on May 18 • Took home silver at the ITU World Paratriathlon Series Montreal on June 28 • Won gold at the Tokyo ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Aug. 17 • Took silver at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Sept. 1

2018: Won the USA Paratriathlon National Championships on June 24 • Placed 5th at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Gold Coast on Sept. 15 • Earned gold at the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Oct. 14