Gelfand attends challenged athletes gala

David Gelfand of Weston was among the many challenged athletes recognized at the Heroes, Heart and Hope Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on June 13.

The event raised $1.4 million to benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), which provides opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities in order to pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics.

Gelfand, who wears a prosthetic left leg, has competed in a number of events for challenged athletes in the past several years, including the National Junior Disability Olympics in 2008, where he won 12 gold medals in his division in track and swimming.

Last year he competed in the Westport-Weston Family Y Strong Kids Triathlon, which included a 150-meter swim, 2.5-mile bike ride and one-mile run.

Each year he competes in the swim portion (1.2 miles) of the San Diego Triathlon in La Jolla, Calif. in October as part of a relay team to help raise money for CAF.