Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez was born with a birth defect called fibular hemimelia. At ten months old, his mother faced the tough decision to amputate his leg. She was unsure if she was making the right decision for her son, but Robert is thankful she did. Due to his amputation and wearing a prosthetic, he is proud to show others that he, and all amputees, are capable of doing the same things as any other able-bodied individual.
Today, Robert is a father, a husband, a motivational speaker, and an athlete. He competes on the Para-Elite Triathlon Team for Team USA and Team USA for amputee soccer. The trials and tribulations Robert has had to mentally and physically overcome as a young man has taught him to always push through no matter the circumstances. Through his experiences, he has learned that sometimes things aren’t as bad as they seem, and success is on the other side if we continue to work hard.
I train really hard because sports allow me to show people what I can do instead of what I can’t do and I’m a competitor. I like to push myself and to dig down deep to continue to get better each day and to show others that even though I might be a para-athlete I work just as hard as any other able-bodied athlete and that we can do the same things.
