Archery athlete Laura Belverde recently detailed her path to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, emphasizing the pivotal role her family played in her professional development. Speaking on “Nosotras,” a segment of Showsport Noticias produced and hosted by Laura Loforte, the 26-year-old athlete discussed the personal and physical challenges that shaped her career, Canal Showsport reported.
Early development at Tiro Federal Córdoba
Belverde began her journey in archery at age 11 while attending the Colegio Monserrat. She started her training at the Tiro Federal Córdoba, an environment that provided the foundation for her later success on the international stage. Reflecting on her youth, Belverde noted the personal difficulty she faced regarding her physical condition—she was born with an amputation below both knees and hand malformations.
During the interview, she explained that she initially struggled with the visibility of her prosthetics. “When I was a child, I didn’t want to show my prosthetics,” Belverde said. She credited her growth in confidence to the experience of meeting other athletes who managed similar disabilities within the same sport, noting that these interactions were essential to her personal development.
The intensity of the Paris 2024 experience
Reflecting on her participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Belverde described the event as an “immense” experience. However, she acknowledged that her intense focus on the competitive aspect of the Games prevented her from fully enjoying the atmosphere.
“It is an immense thing to be with the best,” she said, before adding that she struggled to balance the experience with her performance mindset. “I didn’t enjoy it as much because I focused on the competitive side.”
The essential support of her mother
Belverde highlighted that her career would not have been possible without the unconditional support of her mother. She recalled that her mother used an indemnity payment received following a workplace accident to purchase her first archery rifle.
"I wouldn't be here without her," Belverde stated, emphasizing the financial and emotional sacrifices made by her family to facilitate her training throughout her career.
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