Marcelo’s story began 6 years ago when he was driving to another part of Ecuador. Actually, Marcelo is not even able to recall exactly what happened. All he knows is that he woke up from his coma two weeks after the crash. He was told that he had a mere 10 % chance of surviving the ordeal.

“Many people ask me what it felt like to lose my leg. I always answer that the question doesn’t make sense to me because I didn’t lose a leg: I won a life. So why not just keep smiling and keep moving?”

Later Marcelo wrote a book about his experiences following the accident.

You have to start somewhere, so Marcelo’s first two major goals are improving on his speed and completing a 5K. However, Marcelo’s running blade has made him dream bigger. Now he doesn’t just want to run: he wants to go all the way to the Paralympics.

“My coach told me that me and another runner are the first athletes in this category in the history of the federation. Hopefully we’ll pave the way for other Ecuadorian amputees that share my dream.”

Marcelo’s first official competition will be at Ecuador’s National Games in September. If everything works out, he will then qualify for the Panamerican Games in Chile.

“My dream is to stand on top of the podium and sing our national anthem.”