MY HISTORY... hand in hand with Sport.

Venezuelan. I was born and raised in a popular neighborhood in the city of Los Teques, in the State of Miranda. Where playing in the street with friends was something everyday, and doing sports, our daily routine.

"Caimaneras" is the colloquial term with which those improvised sporting events in Venezuela are known in which young people take the plaza, the street, the sidewalk, the parking lots or any vacant space that resembles a field. So, like every average kid, I started playing just for fun.

By 1981 I was already playing Soccer (Futsal) and we competed in games between neighborhoods. I remember that we were always the smallest in the championship; One night, in a game we had to compete against the strongest team, the favorite - to give you an idea, our team was called LAS TORTUGUITAS, (The Little Turtles) I don't know who came up with such a name, that is, small and slow! -. But that night we gave everything for everything, as they say: we left everything on the court and we were "tied." We couldn't believe it! ... that tie meant a victory for us!

It was there where, still very young, I understood that if you give everything, if you play with your heart and believe in yourself,, THERE WILL BE NO INVINCIBLE ENEMY..

Later I ventured into Basketball, also competitively and at the age of 15 I was selected for the team of my neighborhood -El Paso-, this was an honor since this was an neighborhood of recognized Winning Tradition in that sport. I participated in many championships.

Then, very often, I started with Bicicross (BMX) sport in which I came to represent my MIRANDA State. First in the 1985 National Championship, in the 16-year-old category for Rookies... and also in the 1986 National Championship, already in the 17-year-old category, experts. They were years of many competitions, of sharing triumphs and failures, but always there, in healthy Competition.

I remember that during that 1986 full competition year, I accompanied a friend to look for his sister after her training; she practiced Karate.

I think that all people (or at least almost all) like the idea of knowing how to fight, knowing how to defend oneself. The Typical: at first I didn't dare, and I thought I was too old and too old for that. Generally one sees so many children practicing from such a young age. Now I laugh when I see that I was only 17 years old! ... It was there that I was interested in practicing that martial art, I dared and started in May 1986..

But the surprises that 1986 had in store for me were not over.

On December 24, Christmas Day, I went to exercise with a group of friends. I always tried to keep training, regardless of the date.

Only 5 weeks ago he had been participating in the National Bicycles Championship in Puerto Ordaz, in southern Venezuela.

On the way home, some boys passed by in a car and offered us a ride, a ride, you know, Christmas, the streets, the lights, the city. One of my friends didn't want to go and stayed.

That was the day the accident that marked my life occurred. I lost my right arm completely.

At that moment I thought it was all over. But it was not like that...  on the contrary, now was when Everything was just beginning.

blanco