Visual judokas María Fernanda Zapata and Lina María Arbeláez –

Author : Writing sports

María Fernanda Zapata Manjarrés, Juan Manuel González and Lina María Arbeláez Duque pose with their medals in the jousts that take place in Bogotá.

Visual judokas María Fernanda Zapata Manjarrés and Lina María Arbeláez Duque won medals at the Bogotá 2023 Youth Parapan American Games. Zapata, gold in the -44 kg J1 category, and Arbeláez, silver in -63 kg J2.

Both broke it, they were great among the greatest. They work tirelessly under the guidance of Professor Juan Manuel González. Faced with their lack of vision, they have learned the texture of the metals they dream of hanging from. They say that gold is softer and makes you want to touch it.

Although, properly speaking, the medals are not the element they claim to represent, they already know them very well, they yearn for them, they perfect their technique to get closer to them. The celebration was special: a hug with their helmsman, the one who has taught them to accept defeat, but even more so to always get up stronger after a fall.

They will be Quindío in the paranationals. They are humble and sincere: “Judo has changed my life”said Zapata, the champion, whom everyone wants to defeat, a judo genius with enormous vision.

They won wearing the Colombian kimono, which few achieve, because that pride is exclusive to the best, and the best thing is that it looks good on them, they look good with it. Surely in the Paranationals they will be in the positions of honor, but they are not dazzled by favoritism and they keep their feet firmly on the ground.

Athletes from the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Honduras, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Jamaica, Aruba, El Salvador, Uruguay, Cuba and Colombia perform in the event.

The disciplines in contention are chess, wheelchair basketball, billiards, boccia, bowling, fencing, 5-a-side football, 7-a-side football, soccer, futsal, goal ball, judo, athletics, swimming, powerlifting, triathlon, paracycling, wheelchair rugby wheelchairs, table tennis, wheelchair tennis, shooting sports and sitting volleyball.

Zapata and Arbeláez left quietly, almost stealthily, like standard-bearers for Quindío, and they couldn’t have fared better. The teacher Juan Manuel, great in conventional, great in adapted, did not disappoint, returns with booty, with 2 medals and with 2 revalued, quoted stars; but they don’t believe it and tomorrow they will get up early to train.