Alejandra Chávez, outstanding Paralympic athlete from Chacoshared on Radio Libertad the joy having been summoned for the second time to training at CENARD. “Last year, my teacher called me from Formosa to invite me, but he never explained to me what it was. I accepted without knowing where I was going or why. He told me: ‘If I told you, you were going to say no’. Today, with Monday’s newspaper, in this second call, I did not hesitate: the experience is very good”he related.
Chávez explained that the differences between Paralympic and conventional judo are minimal and are mainly related to technical aspects. However, being the only blind person in his group, he recognizes that some things require more effort. “There are things I don’t understand, so I ask and put them into practice with my classmates.”, he commented.
Why did you choose judo?
Alejandra recalled that, After the pandemic, she was looking for an activity that she was passionate about. “At first I asked myself: ‘What am I doing here? I don’t belong here.’ He even made noise when they asked me to take off my sneakers.. But today I don’t change it for anything, nor do I doubt it. Beyond the demands, judo taught me to fall, to ‘look’ with my body, to roll, and to touch the floor with my head. All of this gave me autonomy and improved my reflexes.”, he highlighted.
The judoka shared that, although the coach of the Argentine National Team explained to her that she will no longer be able to compete at the world level due to her age, yes can continue participating in local and provincial championships. “I just wanted to do gymnastics. “I never imagined performing for the belts,” he confessed.
Currently, Alejandra is preparing to perform in December and obtain the orange belt. “If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said no way, just leave me alone, sit, drinking mate in my comfort. But today I don’t even think about it: I grab my things and go to study to perform.”, he assured enthusiastically.
An invitation to change lives
Alejandra closed with a motivating message for those looking for an activity that transforms their life: “Go to the nearest dojo you have. It worked for me and today I am totally in love with judo. “It changed my life for the better.”
