EL SALVADOR: OLYMPICS: Paraplegic wheelchair racer is El Salvador's lone hope at the 2012 Paralympic Games

Record ID: 330878

  • Title: EL SALVADOR: OLYMPICS: Paraplegic wheelchair racer is El Salvador's lone hope at the 2012 Paralympic Games
  • Date: 16th July 2012
  • Summary: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SALVADOREAN PARALYMPIC ATHLETE, LUIS MORALES, IN WEIGHT ROOM EXERCISING MORALES GETTING INTO WHEELCHAIR (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS MORALES, SALVADOREAN PARALYMPIC ATHLETE, SAYING: "After physical education class, we went to go cut mangos, and I fell and injured my vertebrae. That's what left me in a wheelchair. Then I had a surgery in which they placed metal parts in my spine so I could sit down. Then I went to a rehabilitation center where I remained for six months to get accustomed to my new life in a wheelchair." SIGN FOR SALVADOREAN ATHLETIC FEDERATION MORALES ENTERING STADIUM VARIOUS OF MORALES GETTING INTO WHEELCHAIR VARIOUS OF MORALES IN WHEELCHAIR ON TRACK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS MORALES, SALVADOREAN PARALYMPIC ATHLETE, SAYING: "Getting a medal at that level is very difficult. But we don't focus on that. We always have achieving better results on our minds. Aside from that, a world ranking is generated after the London games. We hope to be among the top ten wheelchair racers of Latin America." VARIOUS OF MORALES IN WHEELCHAIR ON TRACK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS MORALES, SALVADOREAN PARALYMPIC ATHLETE, SAYING: "I feel pride and happiness, because not everyone has an opportunity like this. Carrying the colours of one's country is the greatest thing to me. The dream of every athlete is to represent their country at international events such as this." MORALES DRINKING WATER VARIOUS OF MORALES WITH COACH MIGUEL CASANA VARIOUS OF CASANA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS CASANA, COACH, SAYING: "It's a matter of pride and satisfaction for a Paralympic athlete, showing the bravery of the Salvadorean people, showing what this country is worth, gets to compete against those great powers that have much more resources than we do." VARIOUS OF MORALES IN WHEELCHAIR ON THE STREETS OF SAN SALVADOR
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: El Salvador
  • Country: El Salvador
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAQ249X7X9WJW359YL5MQ8O2EU
  • Story Text: Every morning, Salvadorean paralympic wheelchair racer Luis Morales propels himself over four miles (seven kilometres) along the streets of San Salvador to arrive at Jorge Gonzalez stadium where he is training for the 100 metre road cycling event at the Summer Paralympic Games in London.
    Morales, from the town of Sonsonate, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the Salvadorean capital, told Reuters that be became a paraplegic after falling from a tree while cutting mangos with classmates.
    "After physical education class, we went to go cut mangos, and I fell and injured my vertebrae. That's what left me in a wheelchair. Then I had a surgery in which they placed metal parts in my spine so I could sit down. Then I went to a rehabilitation center where I remained for six months to get accustomed to my new life in a wheelchair," he said.
    Despite an hour commute to the stadium, which often leaves him with sore arms and bruised hands, Morales said he is motivated to become one of the premier wheelchair racers in Latin America in the world rankings after the Olympics are over.
    "Getting a medal at that level is very difficult. But we don't focus on that. We always have achieving better results on our minds. Aside from that, a world ranking in generated after the London games. We hope to be among the top ten wheelchair racers of Latin America," he said.
    Morales, who had no athletic background before his accident, began playing tennis and basketball during his physical rehabilitation, finally settling on racing as his sport.
    Since then, he has won numerous medals at domestic and international competitions, eventually participating in the 2007 ParaPan-American Games. He missed the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games due to an illness related to his disability.
    Morales said he is proud to represent El Salvador at an international level.
    "I feel pride and happiness, because not everyone has an opportunity like this. Carrying the colors of one's country is the greatest thing to me. The dream of every athlete is to represent their country at international events such as this," he said.
    Last November, he participated in the 2011 ParaPan-American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico, finishing his race in a modest 19 seconds.
    Morales's coach, Cuban Luis Casana, said that Morales represents Salvadorean spirit by competing against countries with significantly more resources to develop athletes.
    "It's a matter of pride and satisfaction for an Paralympic athlete, showing the bravery of the Salvadorean people, showing what this country is worth, gets to compete against those great powers that have much more resources than we do," he said.
    Morales will compete in the H class at the Olympics, in which athletes with an impairment to their legs compete using a wheelchair.
    The 2012 Paralympic Games begin on August 29 and end on September 9, following the Olympic Games which end on August 12. The cycling events will take place in London's Velopark from August 30 to September 2.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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