- Recognise the bravery and effort of those who dedicate their lives to someone with Down Syndrome;
- Support initiatives that promote the social inclusion of people with Down Syndrome, and;
- Encourage more families to allow someone like my uncle to be part of their lives.
In November 2015 I managed to complete my first Ironman – a triathlon comprised of a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and a 42km run.
For this cause, I want to qualify for the most iconic triathlon event in the World – the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which will take place on 8th October 2016.
To do so, I will need to race in another Ironman before that date and win my “Age Group” division (18-24). I have chosen the Netherlands Ironman on 31st July to take on the challenge.
Over the next five months, so as to have a chance of qualifying, I will seek to improve my previous time by a further hour – from 10 hours and 48 minutes to less than 10 hours. But, even if I succeed in doing so, I will still have to be reasonably lucky to outperform my competitors on the day.
Gonzalo
47 chromosomes – one more than 99.9% of the population. That extra chromosome means greater affection, greater empathy, greater innocence, greater expressiveness and greater generosity; it means more joy, more respect, more honesty, more humility, more cheerfulness, more love and more, much more happiness than the other 99.9%.
Just 0.1% of babies around the world are born with Down’s Syndrome. Only a few parents, families and friends experience the challenge, the responsibility, but – much more importantly – the good fortune of sharing their lives with someone so special.
Sadly, only 10% of mothers that discover their child’s condition beforehand decide to give birth. I am immensely fortunate in having a grandmother who is one of those mothers, and it is for this reason that I have been able to share a great part of my life with the most special person I know – my uncle, Álvaro.
I would be immensely grateful if you could support my challenge with a donation, and agree – in the (unlikely) event that I qualify – to double it!
Every contribution will go directly to Down Madrid (http://www.downmadrid.org/).