Kyle

Coon

Current Guide: Zack Goodman

Career Highlights

2020 Tokyo Paralympian, fifthFive-time World Triathlon Para Series medalist (3 gold, 2 bronze)
2022 USA Paratriathlon National Champion
2022 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Sarasota-Bradenton gold medalist
2021 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Pleasant Prairie silver medalist
2019 Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup silver medalist
2019 Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships silver medalist
2019 Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships silver medalist
2018 Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup silver medalist

Quick Facts

Coon lost his vision at age 7 due to a rare form of eye cancer. He is now a member of the Toyota U.S. Paratriathlon Resident Team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, coached by USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach Derick Williamson. In addition to paratriathlon, Kyle is also an avid rock climber, downhill skier and runner. In 2006, he hiked the Ankascocha Trail into Machu Picchu. In 2007, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 15. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in Communication in 2013, he became an endurance athlete, competing in numerous marathons and triathlons. In 2018, he was a member of the first team of tandem cyclists with all blind or visually impaired stokers (person on the back of a tandem bike) to complete Race Across America — the world’s toughest bicycle race — racing from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland, in 7 days, 15 hours. Later in 2018, at IRONMAN Arizona, Kyle became the first totally blind person to complete an IRONMAN-branded triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) in under 11 hours. He competed in his first Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020, where he placed fifth in his event with Zach Goodman as his guide. At the 2021 World Triathlon Para Championships in Abu Dhabi, he earned the bronze medal and then the following year in 2022 become the USA Paratriathlon National Champion in his PTVI sport class. For more about Kyle, visit kylecoon.com.
Coon's guide for the Tokyo Games was Andy Potts, a 2004 U.S. Olympian, 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist, decorated IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 athlete and ambassador for the USA Triathlon Foundation.

Elite Triathlon Career

2022: Started his 2022 season winning the 2022 Americas Triathlon Para Championships Sarasota-Bradenton on home soil in Florida on March 13, competing alongside his guide Zack Goodman • Claimed his second-ever World Triathlon Para Series gold medal at the 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Yokohama on May 14 in Japan • Earned a back-to-back WTPS medal at the 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Montreal in Canada on July 8 • Became the USA Paratriathlon National Champion for the first-time in his career, winning in Long Beach, Calif. on July 17 • Placed fifth at the Swansea WTPS event in Great Britain on August 6 • Competed in Abu Dhabi at the World Triathlon Para Championships and came in fifth overall • Was a member of Team USA in the inaugural exhibition event for the Paratriathlon Mixed Relay Event in Abu Dhabi, where his team earned the bronze medal alongside teammates Howie Sanborn, Kelly Elmlinger and Grace Norman.

2021: Won his first elite international gold medal at the World Triathlon Para Series opener in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15 • Took silver at the Americas Triathlon Para Championships in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, on June 27 • Placed fifth in his debut paratriathlon showing at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games with his guide Andy Potts on August 28 • Earned the bronze medal in Abu Dhabi at the World Triathlon Para Championships on November 5
2019: Captured his second career elite podium with a silver at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 9 • Earned his first ITU World Paratriathlon Series medal with a bronze in Milan, Italy, on April 27 • Took silver at the Magog ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on July 13 • Was the runner-up in the men's PTVI category at the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships in Long Beach, California, on July 20 • Placed fourth at the Tokyo ITU Paratriathlon World Cup, which was held in a duathlon (run-bike-run) format, on Aug. 17
2018: Made his elite paratriathlon debut with a fourth-place finish at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships on March 10 • Took silver at the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Paratriathlon World Cup on Oct. 14

Paralympic Experience

• 2-time Paralympian;
• Paralympic Games Paris 2024, 8th (PTVI - Men)
• Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, 5th (PTVI - Men)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2023 – gold (Team Relay - Open), 6th (PTVI - Men)
• Years of participation: PTVI - Men 2021, 2022, 2023; Team Relay - Open 2022, 2023
• Medals: 3 (1 gold, 2 bronze)
• Gold – 2023 (Team Relay - Open)
• Bronze – 2022 (Team Relay - Open); 2021 (PTVI - Men)