Team A Step Ahead Profiles

Rajesh Durbal

Stats:

Date of Birth:  August 1977

Current Residence: Orlando, FL

Occupation:  Senior Network Engineer

Sports: Triathlon, Skiing, Snowboarding, Track and Field, Handball, Table Tennis

Rajesh Durbal was born with a congenital deformity of both lower legs and his right arm. When he was one year old, both his legs were amputated below the knee. In addition he had surgery to replaces bones in each leg and in his partial right arm.

At an early age, Rajesh was fitted with prosthetic legs and learned by trial and error how to do things on his own as a triple amputee.  At the age of 5, Rajesh participated in most activities at school. His teacher took a liking to him, and published a book about him growing up while being different. By the age of 10 he was competing in slalom skiing.  At 14 he was offered a chance to train and become part of the disabled ski team in Colorado. At 16, Rajesh broke the world record for double below knee amputees in the 100M sprint.

After sustaining a knee injury during a school basketball game, Rajesh took some time off to focus on life after competing. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems from Capella University, and landed a lead technical engineering job working for a trading firm on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2001, wanting to get out of the city, Rajesh pursed other forms of education and achieved his PMP certification. He then started working for a major construction company leading multimillion-dollar technical projects for the government.

Something was missing; Rajesh knew there was more to life. He knew that he could do more with the gifts he was given. With prayer and faith he decided to do something that he feared and thought he could never do; a triathlon. Only until later did he realize that no other triple amputee has ever attempted this challenge.

In June 2009, he completed his first sprint triathlon in a time of 1:48. He completed a second sprint triathlon in September 2009, in 1:36.

Rajesh’s long term goals are to compete in the Para Triathlon Championships, ITU triathlon world championships, and Ironman Florida to pre-qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.  Most of all he wants to spread awareness that we all can live amazing lives filled with meaning and purpose by his mantra “LIVE FREE."