When Kimwood Mott takes the baton from son Kadin following the younger Mott’s 1k swim to run the 7k marathon in the Powerade Potcakeman Triathlon Sunday, it will be little short of a miracle.

Mott, 43, married father of three, was told he would never walk again following a horrendous car accident that left him with little more than memories of what his right leg once looked like. Over the next several years, Mott, project manager at an offshore bank, underwent 13 reconstructive surgeries and countless hours of grueling physio-therapy. Armed with a will of steel and heart of determination, the former runner began connecting with the pavement again. He formed a runners’ and swimmers’ club. He started slowly and regained confidence, rekindling the passion he had felt as a runner in high school decades earlier.
In 2017, he finished his first full marathon.

Mott’s heroic story won the hearts of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), one of the sponsors of the highly-anticipated BAARK Powerade Potcakeman Triathlon. This is the third year the Washington, D.C.-based trade association of pet food manufacturers has supported the event that raises funds for better pet care nutrition and wellness education in The Bahamas among other initiatives.

“In the past two years, winners of our PFI Powerade Potcakeman Triathlon athletic gear entered a contest and our social media followers on Facebook helped choose, but when we heard Kim Mott’s story this year, he stole our hearts. We are proud to present him and his team with our PFI athletic gear,” said Olivia Dorsett of Diane Phillips & Associates, PFI’s local agency. “This is a significant event and we are pleased to partner once again with BAARK to present this opportunity to build awareness of the importance of caring for domestic pets.”

Hundreds turned out to participate, volunteer or watch last year’s triathlon when Mott placed second. He has said his goal this year is to cross the finish line of the run first. The man who was told he would never walk again just completed his personal best, a 10k marathon in 51 minutes.

The triathlon is not for the faint of heart – a 1k swim, 28k cycling and 7k run performed in different categories either by an individual or a team effort.
“PFI’s generous supporting sponsorship helps us maximize fundraising from the triathlon,” said BAARK representative Sarah Kennedy. “Our spay/neuter programs help save thousands of lives each year by reducing the number of homeless animals. It also helps to create safer and cleaner communities. Our education programs teach responsible pet ownership and help to create just a kinder, more humane future generation.”

BAARK’s education initiatives dovetail with PFI’s mandate to broaden knowledge of nutrition along with healthy and dangerous foods for dogs and cats. In a campaign “Our food, not theirs,” PFI provides information about some of pet owners’ favourite foods that can be harmful to their pets, including chocolate, onions, grapes and Macadamia nuts. PFI Caribbean efforts includes providing flyers and posters for pet care stores throughout The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and Jamaica as well as participating in pet-related events, organizing school visits and cooperating with local pet care organisations.

Founded in 1958, the 60-year-old association represents more than 98% of all manufactured pet food. PFI Caribbean promotes initiatives to advance pet nutrition in the region and maintains an active presence on social media as an additional means to spreading the message about pet wellness.