A day of emotional talks and well-deserved recognition for Raúl Vallinot and Christian Silva
Raúl Vallinot, ambassador of the Idemticos project, participated this Thursday with his talk ‘Persevero’ in Table 2 ‘De la superación a la competición’ of the day ‘Experiencia de vida en personas amputadas’, held in the Aula Jaso of the Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid.
‘I would like to thank La Paz University Hospital for this invitation. It is very gratifying to have the opportunity to share my life experience with people who are currently going through a similar situation to the one I went through with my accident and to be able to advise them on the steps to follow, on how sport can be used as a lever for social inclusion and, above all, to be able to face the physical and mental challenge that disability entails. I will be grateful to the health staff for life, they took care of me so that I could continue to be and now it is my turn to do my bit. This type of conference is very enriching for both the audience and the speakers and should be the norm rather than the exception in our healthcare system,’ said Vallinot.
Christian Silva, also an Idemticos ambassador, was recognised a few hours later by the Torrejón City Council as the best male athlete with functional diversity. The Galician, who has lived in the Madrid town for many years, could not hide ‘how special’ the moment was.
‘Perseverance and effort always pay off. Every day, when I wake up, I remember my goals: to be the best in my sport, or at least to try to be. The gruelling training sessions, the injuries, the work, the family, the moments of doubt… it’s all part of the journey. But I never stopped and never will stop believing in myself. So here I am, with this award in my hands, but also with a heart full of gratitude. My advice? Dream big, work hard and never give up. No matter how hard the road seems, keep going. Every step brings you closer to your goals. Let’s continue to prepare ourselves and build a world full of achievements and smiles,’ Silva added.
