Robyn Benincasa

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Robyn Benincasa
2016RobynBenincasa.jpg
Robyn Benincasa
OccupationsAdventure racer, author, motivational speaker, firefighter, Leadership & Team Building Speaker
Known forEco-Challenge champion, adventure racing, endurance kayaking, Project Athena Foundation, San Diego City Fire Fighter, Raid Gauloises Champion
Notable workHow Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons From The Toughest Teams On Earth
AwardsGuinness World Record Holder, CNN Hero (2014); Top 10 Most Influential Leadership Speakers (2023), Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World (2020), MSN's Top 10 Business Speakers in North America, #1 Female Speaker MeetingsNet Magazine
Website www.robynbenincasa.com

Robyn Benincasa is an American endurance racer, adventure racer, author, motivational speaker, and firefighter. She competed in seven seasons of the Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race reality television series, and was part of the winning team in the 2000 Eco-Challenge in Borneo. [1] She and her teammates also won the Raid Gauloises World Championships in Ecuador, the Patagonia Expedition Race and the Bull of Africa Expedition Race. Robyn later founded a company called Human Synergy Inc, that translates expedition-racing principles into corporate team-building programs, [2] [3] and she is the founder of the Project Athena Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Survivors pursuing endurance goals after medical or traumatic setbacks. [4] [5] Benincasa also set three 24 hour Guinness World Records in endurance paddling (moving water kayak, flat water kayak, and flat water stand up paddling). [6] [7] , has won the Yukon River Quest (460 miles), and is the 5x women's division champion at the World's Longest non stop paddling race, the Missouri River 340, where she currently holds the women's course record. Along with training for and competing in ultra endurance sports, Benincasa won bronze, silver, and gold medals in her weight division for three consecutive years at the US National Judo Championships. [8]

Contents

Early life, education, and firefighting

Benincasa grew up in the United States and competed in sports including gymnastics, diving, track, and cross-country running as a youth. [9] She earned an academic scholarship to Arizona State University where she competed for the Sun Devils as a springboard diver. During her college career she also earned honors as Marketing Student of the Year and Student Athlete of the year. After college she worked in pharmaceutical sales while training for and competing in Ironman Triathlons (9x finisher) and ultra distance Adventure Races. [9]

She later joined the San Diego Fire Department, pursuing a career as a full time firefighter, while continuing to train and compete as an endurance athlete. [4] Her dual roles in firefighting and competitive sport, often scheduled around 24-hour shifts, have been highlighted in profiles of her career. [9] [10] During several years of her fire career, Robyn and her crew were also recognized as America's First All Female Full Time Fire Crew. [11] Robyn's community focus extends to other interests as well, as the Founder of The Project Athena Foundation and honoree of the San Diego Humane Society.

Athletic career

Triathlon and early endurance racing

Before her adventure racing career, Benincasa competed in long-distance triathlons. She has been described as a nine -time Ironman finisher, with two top 5 finishes in her age group at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona Hawaii. [9] [12] Her early success in endurance sports led to invitations to join multi-day expedition racing teams.

In 1995, she was a member of an all female team, and only the second American team ever, to complete the Raid Gauloises, one of the earliest high-profile expedition-length adventure races. The event in the Borneo rainforest combined trekking, mountain biking, paddling, caving, and climbing over several days of continuous racing and helped establish adventure racing as a distinct discipline. [13]

Eco-Challenge competitions

Benincasa went on to compete in several editions of Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race, a televised expedition race series created by producer Mark Burnett. Her team finished 7 Eco-Challenge Adventure Races and finished Top 5 in 5 of them.

By 1999 and 2000 she was a member of the renown Team Eco-Internet adventure racing team, competing in international Eco-Challenge and Raid Gauloises Expedition Length (7-10 day non stop) Adventure Races. At the 2000 Eco-Challenge held in Borneo, Eco-Internet finished first overall, with Benincasa contributing as part of the co-ed team. [1] The event involved hundreds of miles of trekking, paddling, mountain biking and navigation through jungle terrain and was widely covered in sports media. [1] [4]

Health challenges and competitive return

In 2007, Robyn was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both hips and was told that she might not be able to run again. [4] She underwent hip resurfacing surgery and returned to competition by running the Sedona Marathon approximately four months later. [9] [4] She later had two total hip replacements and 2 cup replacements, for a total of 6 hip surgeries over several years, which is what led to her endurance kayaking career. Robyn's personal experience with injury and recovery inspired her to create the Project Athena Foundation, with the goal of using her adventure background and experience to help survivors of medical or traumatic setbacks create their own comeback stories through multi day team based endurance adventures.

Early Business career

Human Synergy, Inc.

In 2002, , Benincasa founded Human Synergy, Inc., a company focused on corporate team-building and leadership development. [14] The firm uses a framework Benincasa calls the "Eight Essential Elements of Human Synergy," derived from her and her teammates' experience in creating the high performance team culture that helped them consistently succeed in the world's toughest expedition races. [14] [15] Through Human Synergy, she has delivered keynotes and workshops for corporate clients on topics such as Building World Class Teams, Why Winners Win, and how to Win as One, entertaining attendees with epic stories of teamwork, collaboration, leadership under pressure, and, resilience, [10] [16] while sharing strategies for how fast moving companies can build and inspire the world class teammate and leader in all of their employees and partners.

Author and speaker

In 2012, Benincasa published How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons From The Toughest Teams on Earth, (New York Times Best Seller), which presents leadership and teamwork lessons drawn from adventure racing and firefighting. [17] The book discusses topics including goal alignment, communication, shared risk, We Thinking, culture building, and mutual accountability.

As a motivational speaker and teambuilding expert, Robyn has delivered keynote presentations and leadership programs for organizations across the healthcare, technology, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Her corporate audiences have included companies such as Wells Fargo, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, Walmart, Boeing, Intel, AstraZeneca, Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, Deloitte, Cisco, Boston Scientific, and Eli Lilly. [18] [15] [19]

In 2023, she was named to Social Six's list of "Top 10 Most Influential Leadership Speakers." [20] [21] Speaker bureaus and event organizers have highlighted her background as a world champion adventure racer, long-serving firefighter and founder of a CNN Heroes awarded nonprofit organization as central elements of her presentations. [10] [19]

Project Athena Foundation

Founding and mission

In 2007, after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis and undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, Benincasa founded the Project Athena Foundation. [4] [12] The organization was established to help people who have experienced serious medical setbacks pursue endurance and outdoor adventure goals as part of their recovery. The foundation became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States. [12]

Project Athena offers multi-day guided events such as hikes, cycling challenges and paddling expeditions, including treks in the Grand Canyon, coastal journeys in the Florida Keys and other long-distance routes. [12] [6] Participants, referred to by the foundation as "Athenas" and "Zeuses," receive coaching, training, flights, lodging, and logistical support to prepare for and complete the events alongside other Survivors and Robyn's team of Trail Angels. [12] Project Athena helps Survivors focus on the comeback, not the setback.

Recognition and impact

Since Project Athena’s first adventure in 2008, Robyn and her team have helped hundreds of Survivors complete endurance challenges following medical or traumatic setbacks. [5] In 2014, CNN named Benincasa a CNN Hero for her work with the foundation and for helping inspiring people like their Athenas and Zeuses use adventure-based goals as part of their rehabilitation and personal recovery. [5] [22] Media coverage of Project Athena has emphasized its focus on enabling participants to complete ambitious endurance challenges rather than solely providing traditional support services. [5] [23] In 2021, Toastmasters International honored Benincasa among five inspirational females on International Women's Day for her work with Project Athena. [24]

Legacy

Benincasa's career has combined elite endurance sports, public service as a San Diego Firefighter and work in leadership development and nonprofit advocacy. Profiles of her work often emphasize the application of strategies from expedition racing---such as distributed leadership, role shifting, relinquishment of ego, and mutual respect to corporate and community settings. [14] [15] [10]

Her three Guinness World Records, Eco-Challenge and Raid Gauloises victories and long record of top finishes at major expedition races have made her one of the more prominent American competitors associated with the early era of televised adventure racing. [1] [4] In 2023, she was inducted into the Alabama Sports and Adventure Hall of Fame. [25] Through Project Athena, she has contributed to a model of rehabilitation and self actualization that incorporates endurance sport and outdoor challenges into recovery from serious illness or injury. [12] [5]

Selected bibliography

Benincasa, Robyn (2012). How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons From the Toughest Teams on Earth. Don Mills, Ontario: Harlequin Enterprises. ISBN 978-0-373-89255-6. OCLC 754389902.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Kelli (November 12, 2001). "You Snooze, You Lose". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 95, no. 19. p. A6.
  2. ↑ Blevins, Jason (September 26, 2000). "Colorado Firm to Offer Business Leaders Cutting-Edge Team Training". The Denver Post.
  3. ↑ Levack, Kinley (November 2005). "Teaming in a Flash". Successful Meetings. Vol. 54, no. 12. p. 124. ISSN 0148-4052.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Windh, Jacqueline (December 2009). "Robyn Benincasa". Runner's World. Vol. 44, no. 12. p. 60.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Clarke, Erika (April 21, 2015). "CNN Heroes: Helping women recover through athletic adventures". CNN. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Third Guinness World Record for Robyn Benincasa". PR Newswire (Press release). Project Athena Foundation. December 28, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Farthest distance by canoe (kayak) - 24 hours (flowing water) -- Female". Guinness World Records. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  8. ↑ https://judoinfo.com/96usji/
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Robyn Benincasa -- Firefighter & Adventure Racer". Hip Resurfacing Site. August 29, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Robyn Benincasa -- Motivation & Inspiration Through Adventure". Talent Bureau. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  11. ↑ https://www.firefighternation.com/firerescue/the-inspiration-station-part-1/#:~:text=Share%20To:,Life%20Before%20Firefighting
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Robyn Benincasa". Project Athena Foundation. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  13. ↑ Lee, Janet (March 1995). "And what did you do on your vacation?". Women's Sports & Fitness. Vol. 17, no. 2. p. 28. ISSN 8750-653X.
  14. 1 2 3 "Robyn Benincasa". PCMA. October 2, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 "Meet keynote speaker -- Robyn Benincasa". RobynBenincasa.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Robyn Benincasa's Methodology for Team Building and Peak Performance". Yahoo Finance. June 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  17. ↑ Benincasa, Robyn (2012). How Winning Works: 8 Essential Leadership Lessons From the Toughest Teams on Earth . Don Mills, Ontario: Harlequin Enterprises. ISBN 978-0-373-89255-6. OCLC 754389902.
  18. ↑ https://www.harrywalker.com/speakers/robyn-benincasa
  19. 1 2 "Robyn Benincasa". GDA Speakers. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Social Six Announces the 'Top 10 Most Influential Leadership Speakers for 2023'". Social Six (Press release). EIN Presswire. May 8, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  21. ↑ Apindi, Cyprine (March 2020). "10 highest paid motivational speakers in 2021 (list with photos)". Legit.ng. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Robyn Benincasa Is A 2014 CNN Hero". PR Newswire. May 16, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  23. ↑ "CNN Hero Robyn Benincasa transforms women's obstacles into opportunities through adventure". Smack Media. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Toastmasters Honors Five Inspirational Females on International Women's Day". Toastmasters International (Press release). PR Newswire. March 3, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Alabama Sports and Adventure Hall of Fame introduces 2023 inductees". WDHN (Dothan, AL). 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
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