Name: Eric McElvenny
Sport: Paratriathlon
Classification: PTS4
Birthdate: May 12, 1983
Current Residence: Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School: Wauwatosa East High School
College: United States Naval Academy '06, Mechanical Engineering
Career Highlights
2022 Americas Triathlon Para Champion
2021 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Pleasant Prairie gold medalist
Tokyo 2020 Paralympian, sixth
3-time World Triathlon Para Series medalist (3 bronze)
2021 World Triathlon Para Cup Besancon silver medalist
2019 Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships gold medalist
2019 Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships silver medalist
Personal
Eric is an endurance athlete living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from the United States Naval Academy while preparing for his service as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer. Eric deployed three times as a Marine and on his final tour, an incredible experience in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was wounded after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED). Eric suffered the amputation of his right leg below the knee, a life-changing opportunity that began his next journey.
Faced with a physical challenge and an uncertain future, Eric made a promise to himself to complete an IRONMAN triathlon. On his journey from the hospital bed in southern California to the finish line of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, he realized that the challenge and adversity he was up against and the techniques he used to reach the finish line could be used against the challenges we all entertain. He made his debut on the World Triathlon elite paratriathlon circuit in 2019, and represented the United States at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, where he placed sixth in the PTS4 sport division. When not training, racing and delivering inspiration, Eric can be found with his wife, Rachel, and three children.
Elite Triathlon Career
2022: Started the season by winning at the 2022 Americas Triathlon Para Championship in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida on March 13 • Earned his second-career World Triathlon Para Series bronze medal in Montreal, Canada on July 8 • Claimed another podium at the World Triathlon Para Series Swansea in Great Britain by earning the bronze medal on August 6 • Finished 10th at the 2022 World Triathlon Para Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 26.
2021: Won his first World Triathlon Para Series medal, a bronze in Leeds, England, on June 5 • Took silver at the World Triathlon Para Cup Besancon on June 13 • Took the win on June 27 at the Americas Triathlon Para Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, a key selection event for the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020
2020: Placed 11th at the Devonport ITU World Paratriathlon Series event on Feb. 29
2019: Won gold in his elite paratriathlon debut at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 9 • Was the runner-up at the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships in Long Beach, California, on July 20 • Placed sixth at the Banyoles ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Sept. 8 • Finished fourth at the Funchal ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Oct. 20
