The Daily Catch

After Iron Man Accomplishment, Red Hook’s Enrique Flores Hand-Delivers Check to San Salvador Orphanage



His first Iron Man Triathlon complete, Enrique Flores traveled to San Salvador last Friday to hand over a $4,550 check to the Father Vito Guarato Orphanage (photo courtesy Enrique Flores).

There’s nothing like a local gift delivered by hand. Red Hook’s first Iron Man triathlete, Enrique Flores, went one better: traveling from the Hudson Valley to San Salvador last Friday to hand off $4,550 in donations to the orphanage for which he raced in late July.

“It’s hard to convey how moving and meaningful it was to be there,” Flores, 57, said in an interview today with The Daily Catch. “It was really overwhelming.”

Flores had not planned on flying down to hand off the funds, but he learned that the Father Vito Guarato Orphanage for which he raced was hosting a gala on Friday, Sept. 9. A personal appearance, he said, would have special meaning.

“I did not expect to go down so soon, I thought maybe November or February,” Flores said. “But what a better opportunity this was.”

Wendy Moran, director of the orphanage, said the funds would pay for medical care for the residents of the center. “We thank people like Mr. Flores who join our work to build a more humane and more inclusive world for people with disabilities in Salvadoran society. God repay your help in blessings.”

Flores raced in the Lake Placid Ironman event on July 24 (see our coverage). This year, he was inspired to race for a cause for the first time after dozens of other triathlons over a 33-year racing career. 

 “I thought this year, ‘Why not make it meaningful rather than just something for me?’ Flores said. “I wanted to help, to make the race about something bigger than myself.”

The orphanage is located in the city of Flores’s youth, about 2,060 miles from Red Hook. His mother, Lillian, 80, still lives there and he was able to see her on this recent visit.

The Ironman includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full road marathon of 26.2 miles. Previously, Flores had considered the “Olympic” triathlon, which is roughly one-quarter the distance of the Ironman, his favorite race.

After Friday’s gala at the orphanage, Enrique Flores (center in white shirt) met with several of the residents (photo courtesy Enrique Flores).

Now that he’s broken in the idea of running for dollars, Flores said he expects to run for Father Vito again next year.

His next event? Ironman Mt. Tremblant in Canada next August 2023 is on his radar.

“It’s so satisfying to help others in this way,” Flores said. “And the support from so many people really lifts us all.”

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