Arnold Balais

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Arnold “Capt. A” Balais (born March 16, 1974) is a Filipino Paralympic athlete and the team captain of the Philippine Accessible Disability Service (PADS) Dragon Boat Team. He is an above-the-knee amputee who uses his experiences to inspire others.

Balais lost his right leg at age 14 due to chronic osteomyelitis. In 1990, after a broken bone and a period of bed rest, doctors decided to amputate to prevent the infection from spreading. He received his artificial leg at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and later worked there as a vocational coordinator for people with disabilities.

Inspired by his brother, Balais tried weightlifting and was discovered by Monty Mendigoria, a Filipino powerlifter. He represented the Philippines at the 1996 Paralympics in the United States, finishing 12th out of 24. After moving to Cebu, he trained in swimming to strengthen his weaker side and won gold medals at the 1999 Philspada National Games. His success led to competitions in the United States, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea.

In 2013, Balais became the first amputee to summit Mount Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak, accomplished in two days with help from assistants and therapists. In 2023, he organized Climb for Everlasting Hope to raise funds for Everlasting Hope Cebu, supporting around 200 children with cancer and marking ten years since his first climb.

As captain of the PADS Dragon Boat Team, he helped the team win several international races and become the first Para-Dragon Boat champions in the world. Other notable achievements include a gold medal in bench press at the 2002 Malaysian Paralympics, silver and bronze medals in swimming at the 2008 ASEAN Paralympic Games, and recognition as an outstanding individual by Cebu City. He has appeared in media campaigns for Unilab Philippines (2017–2019) and has been featured on Philippine TV and news outlets.

Balais is married with three children and works at Cebu Doctors University in Mandaue City as a laboratory instructor for physical and occupational therapy students, a senior prosthetic technician, and a patient advocate. He also travels the country as a motivational speaker.