Arnold Balais

Last updated

Arnold Balais
Personal information
NicknameCapt. A
National teamPhilippines
Born (1974-03-16) March 16, 1974 (age 50)
Home town Dinalupihan, Bataan, Philippines
Occupation(s)Athlete, vocational coordinator, orthotic and prosthetic technician, motivationa speaker
Employer Cebu Doctors University
Children3
Sport
CountryPhilippines
SportWeightlifting, swimming, boat racing
DisabilityAbove-the-knee amputee
Team PADS Dragon Boat Team

Arnold "Capt. A" Balais (born March 16, 1974) is an above-the-knee-amputee [1] Filipino paralympic athlete, vocational coordinator, orthotic and prosthetic technician. [2] He is known for being the team captain of the Philippine Accessible Disability Service (PADS) Dragon Boat Team. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and career

At 14, Balais got his right leg amputated, caused by chronic osteomyelitis. [3] [5] In 1990, Balais suffered a broken bone during a freak basketball accident. Doctors decided to amputate his right leg a year after being bedridden to prevent the infection from spreading. [6] He was fitted with an artificial leg at the University of Santo Tomas. Later, Balais was offered a job at the UST Hospital as a vocational coordinator for PWDs (Persons with Disabilities). [7]

Sports

Weightlifting

Inspired by his brother, who worked in the Middle East as a gym trainer, Balais tried weightlifting at a local gym to restore his confidence. Eventually, Monty Mendigoria, a Philippine powerlifter, discovered him and provided him with a bodybuilding program modified for his needs. In 1996, Balais represented the Philippine team in a Paralympics competition in the United States, where he finished 12th among 24 athletes worldwide. [7]

Swimming

After moving to Cebu, Balais challenged himself by getting into a new sport. This time, he focused on swimming four hours a day to strengthen the weaker side of his body. In 1999, Balais participated in the Philspada National Games and took home gold medals in swimming. His victory allowed Balais to represent the Philippine team in various competitions in the US, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. [8]

Mountain climbing

In 2013, Balais became the first amputee to scale Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. [5] [6] [9] In two days, he conquered the peak, which was 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level, with the help of two assistants and two physical therapists. [7] In 2023, Balais organized the "Climb for Everlasting Hope" to raise funds for Everlasting Hope Cebu, a non-profit organization helping around 200 children battling cancer. [10] The climb also marks the 10th anniversary of his first climb on the mountain. [4]

Boat racing

Balais is the team captain of the Philippine Accessible Disability Service (PADS) Dragon Boat Team, a cross-disability adaptive team. The PADS Dragon Boat Team has brought honor to the country several times in both local and international competitions, including the 1st Naga Invitational Dragon Boat Race, Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races in 2017 and 2018, [11] [12] the 14th IDBF World Dragonboat Racing Championship [3] and the Club Crew World Championships in Sarasota, Florida in 2022. [4] The team also made history as the first Para-Dragon boat champion in the world. [12] [13]

Achievements

Among Balais' achievements include bagging the gold for bench press powerlifting in the 10th Malaysian Paralympics in 2002, winning both silver and bronze medals for the 100-meter butterfly and freestyle relay swimming events at the 4th ASEAN Paralympic Games in Thailand in 2008, [1] [2] and being the first amputee to reach the peak of Mount Apo in 2013. [3] [5]

Balais was also honored as an outstanding individual by the city government of Cebu during its Charter Day celebration. [8]

TV commercials/appearances

Balais was a television commercial model for Unilab Philippines from 2017 to 2019. [14] He was also featured in several news outlets in the country, including GMA Integrated News' 24 Oras in 2019, [15] ABS-CBN Entertainment in 2021, [16] and CNN Philippines in 2022. [17]

Personal life

Balais is married with three children. He works at Cebu Doctors University in Mandaue City, Cebu as the Laboratory Instructor for Physical and Occupational therapy students, a senior Prosthetic technician, [18] and a patient advocate. Balais is also an inspirational and motivational speaker nationwide. [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Subido, Joy Angelica; Alindahao, Karla. "Arnold Balais: Powerlifting on a limb". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Paralympics Gold Medalist Inspires CITE Athletes!". CITE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, INC. August 28, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Simone, Denise (June 27, 2021). "Arnold Balais proves disability is not an obstacle to success". The New Hue. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "'Capt. A' Balais on a mission for a cause". INQUIRER.net. February 1, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "For this champion PWD dragon boat team, sports is the great equalizer". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Gulferica, Marisse (December 18, 2018). "Lalaking putol ang kanang hita, pinagpatuloy pa rin ang pagiging atleta". Kami.com.ph – Philippines news. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "PWD athlete's inspiring story will prove that nothing is impossible". DailyPedia. September 29, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Magsumbol, Caecent No-ot. "Athlete of the month for January: Arnold M. Balais". Philstar.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Tan, Joel. "ASEAN Fans Rally behind AFF Suzuki Cup Teams with Heroic Messages Emblazoned onto Captains' Armbands". www.affmitsubishielectriccup.com. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Cotejo, Honey I. "Para-athlete launches fundraising mountain climbing event, to climb Mount Apo". www.sunstar.com.ph. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Gutierrez, Angelica (June 20, 2018). "This Filipino Team of PWDs is Defending Their Dragon Boat Racing Championship Title in Hong Kong". Esquire. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Quadra-Balibay, Angie (August 25, 2019). "Philippines Paradragon boat team establishes 1st World Record in Thailand". Good News Pilipinas. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Cebu Doctors' University welcomes back Mr. Balais, PADS team captain, with a courtesy call". Cebu Doctors' University. August 29, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Arnold Balais". Global Sports Mentoring. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Para-athlete na si Arnold Balais, umaasang makakasabak sa triathlon | Videos". GMA News Online. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Ang Kuwento ng Pasasalamat ni Paralympic champion Arnold Balais | Episode 45". ABS-CBN Entertainment. April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ "PH Para Dragon Boat team wins four gold medals at 13th Club Crew World Championships". cnn. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Philippine Accessible Disability Services, Inc. (PADS) courtesy call with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte". Cebu Doctors' University. November 21, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
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