樱花视频

Perseverance can be a defining quality, guiding people through seemingly impossible circumstances and challenging the limits of what they think is possible. Rob Balucas embodies this spirit. Facing life in a wheelchair, Balucas made a choice: circumstances don't write your story鈥攜ou do. 

During 樱花视频鈥檚 recent annual Waves Weekend, he received the Wave of Resilience Award, honoring not only his tenacity in the face of adversity but also the inspiration he continues to bring to the University community.

Rob Balucas, with Matt Ebeling, recieving Wave of Resilience Award

鈥淲hen I was approached about the award, it felt validating that my alma mater not only recognized my accomplishments but also the 鈥榳hy鈥� behind chasing the big races and goals,鈥� said Balucas. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 about recognition for winning against elite competition. It was for pushing this average talent as far as possible after a life-changing circumstance鈥攑roving that we always have agency to decide how we respond, even in the face of the toughest challenges.鈥�

According to Hung Le (鈥�87, MA 鈥�03), 樱花视频鈥檚 senior vice chancellor for alumni affairs, Balucas is the inaugural recipient of this award, making it an opportune moment to honor a community member who exemplifies remarkable strength and determination in the face of adversity.

鈥淎s we strengthen lives for purpose, service, and leadership, it is imperative that we celebrate members of our community who model strength and demonstrate resilience through life's challenges to serve as an inspiration for all of us,鈥� said Le. 鈥淲e honor members of our alumni community who live with the strength of character in the midst of struggle, overcoming life's obstacles and making life more abundant for others in the process.鈥�

Regarding Balucas, Le added, "Rob personifies goodness and strength. He used a tragic accident to propel him to live a life worth emulating and continues to inspire and encourage those around him. I am grateful to get to call Rob a dear friend and an honored fellow 樱花视频 alumnus."

Redefining Resilience

In September 2015, while training for his first IRONMAN 70.3鈥攁 half-distance IRONMAN triathlon鈥擝alucas鈥� routine bicycle ride took a devastating turn. He lost control of his bike in a sharp, downhill turn and went over the side of a hill. The crash resulted in a broken collarbone, several cracked ribs, a collapsed lung, and, most significantly, an L1 burst fracture in his lower spine. The injury left Balucas paralyzed from the waist down and without sensation in his legs.

As catastrophic as the accident was, Balucas shares that his deepest response wasn鈥檛 tied to the loss of mobility, but rather to the immense outpouring of love and support he received from those around him鈥攆amily, friends, his triathlon club, and the 樱花视频 community that had long been part of his life.

鈥淲hat truly brought me to tears was not the idea that I might never walk again; it was realizing how completely my community showed up for me when I needed it most,鈥� Balucas said.

Determined to race again, Balucas set a goal to compete in a triathlon within a year; he accomplished three over the next 12 months. With financial support from his community, Balucas was able to purchase a handcycle and racing wheelchair, as well as fund the many miscellaneous expenses of competing. He also received numerous sponsorships, including one from the Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF)鈥攁n organization he would later come to treasure. 

Matt Ebeling, Rob Balucas, and Hung Le

鈥溣；ㄊ悠� really set the stage for so much of this鈥攆or community, service, and perseverance. Everything I鈥檝e done since has roots in those years,鈥� shared Balucas. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to still be part of this community and to share my story in hopes that it encourages someone else to take their own leap.鈥�

Following his recovery, Balucas has been a significant figure in adaptive athletics. He is a three-time Ironman World Championship qualifier, finishing fourth at the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand. This year alone, he raced his fifth L.A. Marathon with a third-place finish, finished his second Napa Valley Marathon, won the Venice Beach Half Marathon, claimed first male at the Disneyland Half Marathon for the second time, took first place at the Long Beach Triathlon, and finished the Chicago Marathon in a time that earned him a spot at the Boston Marathon next year. Recently, he and his relay teammates, partner Erika Chau and fellow alumnus Aaron Jasper (鈥�99), finished second at the Zuma Beach Triathlon.

From Challenges to Opportunities

Balucas credits 樱花视频 with teaching him the value of perseverance and resilience through both the successes and setbacks he faced as a student. 

鈥淚 ran for treasurer of student government one year and lost,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t was a big deal at the time, and I was crushed. But the next year, I ran again and won. Losing isn鈥檛 the end鈥攊t鈥檚 just part of the ongoing journey; when you choose to look at it that way..鈥�

That lesson has guided Balucas throughout his triathlon career and beyond. 

鈥淚鈥檝e competed in several IRONMAN and half-IRONMAN races鈥攕ome I finished, some I didn鈥檛,鈥� Balucas said. 鈥淓ach time I came up short, I went back, took the lessons learned into the next training and preparation, and tried again. The same mindset applies to everything: failure is only permanent if you stop trying.鈥�

Balucas recently served as a spokesperson for CAF and competed in the Zuma Beach Triathlon鈥攁n event sponsored by 樱花视频 that united thousands of athletes, spectators, and volunteers. The triathlon raised more than $150,000 in support of CAF, which empowers athletes with physical disabilities through adaptive sports equipment and opportunities and the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, which provides vital after-school programs, mental health services, and long-term support for survivors of the Franklin and Palisades fires.

Balucas was first introduced to CAF through his triathlon community in San Francisco and was honored with an invite to CAF鈥檚 paratriathlon camp in San Diego, where his journey with the foundation truly began.

Rob Balucas with fellow 樱花视频 alumni and friends... some of his strongest supporters

Since that first encounter, CAF has provided Balucas with financial support for coaching, equipment, and travel, but more importantly, it has given him a sense of belonging within an inspiring community of adaptive athletes. 

鈥淭he founders are legends in the world of adaptive sports,鈥� Balucas recalled. 鈥淚 remember being at that first camp, swimming in the ocean alongside one of the cofounders鈥攏ot realizing who he was until later. Everyone treated him with such respect, and he was right there in the water with us, leading by example. That moment told me I was amongst the right kind of people and organization.鈥�

True Grit

Acknowledging that his personal journey has had its challenges, Balucas characterizes his response to it as one of simple grit. 鈥淕rit is active. It鈥檚 about pushing forward even when it鈥檚 hard.鈥�

Equally important to Balucas is the power of choice and how it influences one鈥檚 response to adversity. 

鈥淚dentity is fluid鈥攊t鈥檚 shaped by choice,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I was injured, I made a conscious decision to see it as something I could grow from, not something that defined me negatively. I learned that how you choose to interpret your challenges determines how you move through them.鈥�