Gilbert, ARIZ. — Port Angeles High School graduate and member of the Port Angeles Roughriders Hall of Fame Barry Wilcox already had an incredible list of athletic achievements in his life.
This month, he added the biggest achievement of them all — He is the 2025 Para Cycling World Cup Champion.
Wilcox had already earned World Cup bronze medals in road para cycling in 2023. This year, he took first in the time trial and first in the road race in Ostend, Belgium on May 1 and May 3. He followed that up with wins at the time trial and road race in Maniago, Italy, going four for four.
After his first win, a time trial in Belgium, Wilcox wrote on his Instagram, “What a way to open the first World Cup of the 2025 season with a win. First World Cup in ten years of racing! Stay tuned for the road race results on Saturday. Freaking pumped.”
After he won his fourth straight race, Wilcox wrote, “That’s a wrap! 2 countries, 4 races, 4 golds. Such a great experience. And yes, I’m sore and achy.”
Last year, when Wilcox was inducted into the Port Angeles Roughrider Hall of Fame, he talked about struggling through an off year.
“2023 was my best year ever. Everything went right with three bronze medals. 2024 was a little more difficult. My training was off. I came back in better shape,” Wilcox said.
“I’ve been para cycling for 10 years now, and in the last three years, I’ve taken a huge step up in performance and opportunity,” he said. He said he feels he has been given a second chance after his 2024 season.
Wilcox came up just short of qualifying for the 2024 Para Olympics in Paris. His dominant performance at the World Cup this month has encouraged him to work toward the Para Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. He said he feels like he has been given a second chance “to go after it.”
“Why not? What else are you going to do?” He said. “Being a World Cup champion and qualifying for the Para Olympics would be the pinnacle.”
Wilcox was a highly successful cyclist as a teenager while at Port Angeles High School. A vehicle accident that caused him serious spinal injuries ended that career. He graduated from high school in 1996 and went on to get involved in para sports, first in rugby and then in para cycling.
Wilcox will be one of the featured speakers from the Port Angeles Roughrider Hall of Fame at the First Fed Community Conversations “Game On For Life” at the Port Angeles Field Arts and Events Hall on June 3.
Wilcox is back home in Arizona, recovering and preparing for his next challenge. He will return to Belgium at the end of August for the World Championships, where he anticipates an even more competitive field in his category.
US Paralympics Cycling Port Angeles High School graduate Barry Wilcox competes in the 2025 World Cup in Belgium in early May. He won all four races of the 2025 World Cup.
