The Argentine judoka, who a few weeks ago won the bronze medal at the IBSA World Cup in Birmingham, was born with visual impairment, which worsened over time. However, this situation was not a stumbling block in her life. Rocío understood that leaning towards sports could be a good way to build dreams. “Disability is not a barrier. I know that there are things that I can’t do, but also that there are many more that I can,” she says minutes before picking up her bag to go to her dance class, like every Tuesday.
“When I was little I wanted to study medicine, but I knew it was going to be impossible. Limitations exist, but I learned that you have to find a way around the situation. That’s what it’s about: not making excuses,” explains the 25-year-old athlete. “Sometimes overprotection is a problem and I experienced it firsthand. My family wouldn’t let me cook because they were afraid I would burn myself. But I have rarely felt as happy as when I started cooking alone,” she adds. Today, Rocío cooks cookies, biscuits and pasta. She dreams of having her own healthy food business.
In addition to training, fighting with judokas from all over the world, practicing dance and cooking, Rocío Ledesma also composes songs and is pursuing a degree in Social Worker. “Studying is very important. I have the possibility of living at CeNARD, where I was able to finish high school and where I know that I have medical services, meals and my own space. Without CeNARD, many athletes would not have the opportunity to train,” she explains.
Rocío Ledesma, located in fifth place in the ranking in the category up to 48 kilos, is already racing towards Santiago 2023, which will be her third Parapan American participation. “I debuted in Toronto 2015 and won the bronze medal. I would love to do it again,” she says. Also, of course, she thinks about qualifying for Paris 2024: “It is an achievable goal. I know that from a technical point of view I am close and the latest results encourage me to continue working to achieve classification.”
Her coach, Guillermo Traba, defines her perfectly. “She is responsible and applied. She knew how to adapt to being uprooted since she arrived at CeNARD when she was 16 years old. Today she loves judo and when she goes to fight she transforms. It is no coincidence that she has won bronze in the last two World Cups.”
2023-10-05 13:09:47
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