This year marked the 27th anniversary of the Annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon, held on September 8th and 9th. The athletic event, involving a 1.5 Kilometer swim, 40K bike ride and 10K run along Zuma Beach, was joined by stylists from Epic The Salon, A Paul Mitchell Focus Salon in Encino, CA and Future Professionals from Paul Mitchell The School, Sherman Oaks. Stylists provided a number of services for attendees and athletes competing in the triathlon, including $5 braids and $15 haircuts, as well as free samples of Dry Wash and MITCH Double Hitter. All proceeds went toward the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that provides adaptive equipment to athletes with physical disabilities. Paul Mitchell has supported the Challenged Athletes Foundation since 2003 with various partnerships, events and tours, and at this year's Malibu Triathlon, the company raised an impressive $2,000 for the organization. All told, Paul Mitchell has donated a total of over $150,000 to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
This year, the Paul Mitchell Spirit Award, an annual, $1,000 award for an inspiring physically challenged athlete, was awarded to Mark Zambon, a veteran of six deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician. While in the service, Zambon received two purple hearts, and, despite injuries that resulted in the amputation of three of his fingers and both of his legs above the knee, trained and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro upon returning home. He entered the 2013 Nautica Malibu Triathlon determined to "humbly showcase the power of the human spirit and the solidarity of our great nation."
[Images courtesy of John Paul Mitchell Systems]
