Rob Balucas
Physical Challenge: Paraplegia
Sports: Triathlon, Cycling
Hometown: West Hills, CA
Rob Balucas is an ‘average Joe’ athlete who was thrust into extraordinary circumstances in 2015 when a cycling accident rendered him paraplegic. He was training for his first half IRONMAN triathlon, which was supposed to take place the very next weekend. Rob vowed to return to triathlon within a year and then raced in 3 sprint-distance triathlons the next year after his injury. He used the Strava app to track his rehab activity and through CAF had the opportunity to advise Strava’s engineers to include handcycling as an activity.
Since then – with CAF support – he has competed in 7 half-IRONMANs, including the 2019 half-IRONMAN World Championships in Nice, France. In 2022 he competed in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii; where he unfortunately didn’t finish. He came back the next year in 2023 to finish first at IRONMAN California. In 2024 he is qualified and training for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Taupō, New Zealand.
Outside of paratriathlon, Rob resides in Southern California with his partner, Erika, and their dog Chloe. He is a small business owner at babaLucas Creative, serving the branding, marketing, and website needs of small businesses and non-profits.
In The Media:
Rob Balucas’s Personal Website
Rob Balucas: 2022 Breakfast with Bob from Kona
In Those Moments When You Are Paralyzed By Fear | Rob Balucas | TEDxBigSky