Paraplegic Handcyclist From Pittsburgh Ends Attempt To Set World Record

SQUIRREL HILL (KDKA) -- A local man who became paralyzed from the waist down after an accident has put an end to his attempt to break a world record on Uber's test track in Hazelwood.

Attila Domos has won the Pittsburgh Marathon three times in the handcycling division and was ready to put his name on an official record for accumulating the most miles on a handcycle in a 24-hour timeframe.

A Facebook post shows the attempt to break the record came to an end early Sunday.

"When I go out and handcycle, I feel free," Domos said.

Domos' life is full of amazing feats, like his self-devised rope pulley for his wheelchair.

Domos is a trained classical musician from Duquesne University and was the frontman of a '90s rock band.

But his life changed when he fell from a ladder the day his band signed a recording contract.

"I lost the record deal, the band, my day job, my health," Domos said.

There were dark days in physical therapy but listening to then-Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Bill Cowher's speeches helped Attila grow stronger.

Domos has unofficially broken the world record for handcycling, but what he could not conquer is the unpaved alleyway at his home.

The alley is the only way Domos gets in and out of his house. The alley hasn't been paved since the '90s.

"I mean look at this, it's pathetic," Domos said.

Domos and his neighbors have contacted the city throughout the years and gotten the same response.

"It's a paper street, and it's our responsibility to have it repaved," Domos said.

Numerous letters to the city are finally paying off.

The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure said the alley got lost in a backlog of paving projects due to underfunding.

But a recent survey concluded the alley's gravel matched what was used before, meaning it can get paved again by the end of the month.

"You won't understand except for other people in wheelchairs," Domos said.

Domos was attempting to conquer 403.9 miles in 24 hours.

The test track is close to where his family first lived when they came to America from Romania.

"Talk about life going full circle," Domos said.

Attila was riding to raise money for Transitional Paths to Independent Living, a center for independent living in Washington that provides services, support and advocacy.

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