Korean-American Carlos Albaladejo aims for CrossFit Games under guidance of Hong Kong coach Ed Haynes

Carlos Albaladejo’s backstory is an interesting mix of East and West.

Born in New Jersey in 1988 to American parents, his father is of Puerto Rican descent and his mother is Korean. Albaladejo moved to South Korea when he was three as his father was stationed there with the US military. Albaladejo has called the Asian country his home for most of his life - he is fluent in Korean - and said defining himself is a mix of cultures.

“I would definitely describe myself as an American living in Korea,” said the 32-year-old. “Because we went to school on the (military) base, so it’s like a piece of US in Korea. Most of the teachers were American and most of the kids I was with were American and military children and there were a lot of us that were mixed, half-Korean and half-American.”

After graduating from high school in 2007, Albaladejo went to the University of South Florida and then found his way into the US military. In 2011 he commissioned into the United States Army as a second lieutenant and then went to basic officer leader school, and then three months later found himself working in Germany.

“It was in Germany that I found CrossFit,” said Albaladejo, who has tentatively qualified for one of the North American semi-finals, coming 117th in the region according to CrossFit blog Morning Chalk Up. “The competitiveness, mixed with heavy lifting is what I really enjoy. So I like the training aspect of CrossFit.

Albaladejo, who has since moved back to Korea after four years in Germany, burst onto the CrossFit scene. Qualifying for one of the 10 regional semi-final events could see him book his ticket to the 2021 CrossFit Games along with the likes of Hong Kong’s Ant Haynes. He’s competed in a number of regionals and came 115th worldwide in the 2021 CrossFit Open, and now looks to take his competitive streak to the next level.