Story by Dana Greig
Photo by Sarah Deem
Aaron Kamnetz has experienced unexpected plot twists in life before. Yet of all the ways he thought moving to White Bird, Idaho, would change his life, he never imagined it leading to the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. He simply wanted to move from Madison Wisconsin out West to start fresh by mountains and land.
According to Kamnetz, the move in May of 2023 is what got the momentum rolling to get him to Colorado, where he’s been for a month at the time of this story’s publishing. The fact that he’s currently at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs shows that what is meant for you will always find a way.
Kamnetz is meant to be an Olympic athlete. What’s meant for him is finding its way through the fact he’s been bound to a wheelchair for the last thirteen years after crushing everything in his lower spine. That unexpected plot twist also crushed his military career, and, he assumed, his ability to compete in triathlons. Something he’d enjoyed since graduating high school.
What he’s not meant for is mediocrity.
“If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it the best I can,” explained Kamnetz.
This mentality has followed him throughout his life, graduating with multiple majors from University Wisconsin Madison, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and later commissioned by the U.S. Army, and winning a paratriathlon world cup with no professional training.
That world cup, along with other paratriathlon races completed since May 2024, are what landed him in Colorado. Kamnetz says none of the races would have happened without the Boise VA, who shook him out of simply being happy his mind was still intact after his injury. He had decided to focus on that while leaving anything athletic behind. Yet what was meant for him found its way through the VA wanting him to get more out of life.
In January of 2024, the VA took him on an adaptive ski trip to Sun Valley.
“I sort of got slapped on the head by the other veterans who said ‘why aren’t you doing triathlon? You’re still very athletic,’” recalled Kamnetz.
He didn’t know if he ever wanted to attempt triathlons on the para side. That is, until the VA offered to provide a racing chair and hand cycle.
“Let’s give it a shot,” he thought. “What have I got to lose?”
Something Kamnetz didn’t realize he would regain with the VA’s generosity, was his freedom. Upon receiving his bike, he tested it out on a loop around the green belt.
“I’m used to a chair where you just can’t go that far,” explained Kamnetz. “To all the sudden be able to go 40 miles without being in a car, I haven’t done that since I got injured.”
Receiving his bike just one day before the Treasure Valley triathlon in Boise, and receiving zero training on it, Kamnetz entered the race as his first paratriathlon.
“At that point, I hadn’t actually swum since 2012 or 2013,” admitted Kamnetz. “There were a lot of people who were very, very concerned about me getting in the water for the race. I just said ‘look, trust me, I’m very comfortable in the water. It’s just going to be slow, and I’ll look like an idiot, but I’ll be fine and safe.’”
Look like an idiot, he did not. Coming out of the water third overall, ahead of able-bodied athletes. He won the race, beating all the able-bodied athletes. He won another race two weeks later, a half marathon in Missoula.
“I’ve always liked racing,” grinned Kamnetz, adding his favorite aspect, “I like winning.”
Upon learning the head of the USAT Para committee was going to be at the Chicago Triathlon August 25, he competed there and won para division handily. Witnessing that race lead the head of para committee to suggest he compete in the world cup race in Portugal.
To prepare for Portugal, Kamnetz spent a month training in Boise with access to resources made available by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Idaho Outdoor Field House, and Mission 43.
Normally, athletes start at the continental cup racing level, and work toward competing at a world cup. But going at the pace of others has never been Kamnetz’s style. He “Impressed and shocked everyone” in Portugal Oct. 12, getting on the podium with a third-place finish.
Kamnetz landed his first-place world cup win just one week later on Oct. 19, in Tokyo, Japan. The win brought his ranking to 18th in the world.
On Dec. 7 he was notified of his selection to live and train at the OTC. According to Kamnetz, there’s plenty of “low hanging fruit” available to improve his times quickly. Coaching will add finesse to his raw athletic ability. He will train on a year-to-year basis as he works toward the goal of competing in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, CA.
Although Kamnetz is humble about it all, it’s obvious to those who know him that he’s exactly where he deserves to be. He views his presence at OTC as a chance to face unfinished business.
“I wanted to make that team on the able-bodied side when I was last racing,” explained Kamnetz. “I wouldn’t have gotten into any of it if I hadn’t moved out here [to Idaho]. I can’t say enough good things about the VA in Boise and their recreational therapy department.”
As for his future after he completes his time as an Olympic athlete? Kamnetz plans to return to White Bird.
“The people out here are just phenomenal,” explained Kamnetz. “This is home.”
You can follow his progress through his Instagram handle: kamnetz.usa.