United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Ridgefield triathlete makes history, not excuses
Sandra Diamond Fox, Contributing Writer
Published 05:01 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2011



Robin Caruso of Ridgefield is a triathlete. The mother of three was hit by a car and lost the use of her right arm.
Photo taken Wednesday, March 2, 2011. Photo: Carol Kaliff / The News-Times


When faced with an unexpected challenge, many people might take pity on themselves and give up. Ridgefield resident Robin Caruso is not one of those people.

Four years ago, Caruso, who has been a triathlete since 2005, was riding her bicycle in Wilton when a delivery van cut in front of her.

She was badly injured and suffers from a permanent injury called traumatic brachial plexus. She lives with constant pain and has lost the use of her right arm and hand.

Yet, within a short period of time, she went right back to competing -- only this time as a paratriathlete, which is a disabled athlete.

Caruso recently received honorable mention for the Women's USA Paratriathlon Athlete of the Year.

This is the second year in a row that she received the honor.

"Robin had a great year the year before and an even greater year this year," said Jon Beeson, co-chair of the USA Paratriathlon Committee.

"We nominated only three men and three women amongst all of the 150 active paratriathlete participants in the U.S.," he explained.

Caruso was first featured in The News-Times in May 2008 after she organized a bicycle safety campaign called "Share the Road Ridgefield."

A public housing bill she initiated, which requires the transportation commissioner to include areas for pedestrians and bicycles when creating a layout of a state highway, was passed by former Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

She was featured again in May 2009 when she was training for the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon in New York.

Prior to the race, however, she decided not to compete in it because the bicycle portion of it would have been too painful for her.

Since that time, Caruso has competed in about eight paratriathlons, the most recent of which was in September at the 2010 Paratriathlon World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she came in fifth place.

In July, she won the New York City Triathlon national paratriathlon championships.

She also competed in paratriathlons in Greenwich, West Point, N.Y., Illinois and Florida.

One of the next races Caruso plans to compete in is the National Paratriathlon Championships at the New York City Triathlon in August.

"I've had the pleasure of seeing Robin perform on the U.S. National Team since 2009. From the very beginning, you could see that she was destined for greatness," Beeson said.

"Her three straight U.S. national championships are unprecedented, but it's her devotion to the sport and remarkable competitiveness that sets her apart," he said. "It's an honor to have her on the squad and her back-to-back USA Paratriathlon Athlete of the Year nominations are well deserved."

Westport resident Mike Ronemus, who trains with Caruso, said, "Robin is a true inspiration to me. She bikes and swims with one arm and never ever complains, and I know that she's in constant pain. She has a tremendous attitude and she's an inspiration to everyone who knows her."

"This was a horrific accident. My doctors told me that if it had not been for my strong physical condition, I would have died," said Caruso, 44, who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 112 pounds.

"Every single aspect of my life, from getting dressed to going grocery shopping, is harder to do as a result of this injury. I'm grateful for everything I can do and for every race I can compete in," Caruso said.

"(Participating in triathlons) is my coping mechanism. It's the one thing I can do and still feel normal," said Caruso, who is the mother of an 8-year-old son, T.J., and 5-year-old twins, Michael and Nicolas.

Caruso's dream race is the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, which is held every year in California.

"You swim out of Alcatraz and bike through San Francisco. It's really different and it looks like so much fun," she said.

"There are so many people I have seen with my injury who are very negative. I want other people who have had a serious injury to know that they have life in front of them, and that their life is what they make of it," Caruso said.

"I made a decision to fight and I'm not going to let this overtake me."