Fabiola Ramírez goes for her second Paralympic medal

Every time Fabiola Ramírez dives into a pool, she dreams. The Mexican swimmer enjoys every metre she has covered, knowing that her efforts bring her closer to her goal: a second Paralympic medal.

I feel happy when I train, fulfilled and complete. Although our sessions are very demanding and you end up exhausted, they are part of the path to success. Every day I wake up grateful for having the opportunity to prepare myself.says the athlete, who will carry the national flag at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Paris.

For Fabiola, swimming was a lifesaver, not only because it helped her live with her disability, but also because she is a sports figure in our country.

The 34-year-old player suffers from congenital multiple arthrogryposis, which prevents the development of her joints and muscles. I don’t complain about what I got, because I have a lot of people who were always by my side. My parents always looked out for the best for me, they taught me to be independent in academic and personal matters. From the age of three I was in treatment at the Houston Shriners Hospital, where I was able to make a lot of progress to become what I am today..

On medical advice, Ramírez began swimming, although she would have loved to be a dancer. At the age of 15, while practicing in the Olympic Pool, her talent with possibilities of international scale was highlighted. My dad encouraged me to try it, even though I had a lot of doubts and a little bit of fear. Since then I became competitive and decided that if I was going to participate it was to win. When you are an athlete, it happens like this: first you want to be among the top 10, then among the top five, and finally, you want to get on the podium..

In Paris, the swimmer will experience her fourth Olympic event after attending the summer games in Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In the latter, she climbed onto the podium after winning the bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke final.

I had one of the best moments of my career when I won a medal. It was so nice to experience it that I want to repeat it in Paris. I am very happy to be part of a delegation of athletes who are going to give everything for Mexico.

The native of León, Guanajuato, is an admirer of the independence heroine Leona Vicario. She is a character that I like a lot because she always fought and defended her ideals. In addition, she was also an outstanding intellectual, which makes me admire her even more..

Not everything has been rosy for Fabiola, who was unable to attend the 2012 London Games.

I’m like the phoenix, when I’m in the pit, I emerge and gain strength. Sometimes I’ve been in the ashes and I’ve found that motivation and hunger to win again. Sport is about a lot of perseverance; trying again and again.added the competitor, who will participate in the 50 and 100 meter backstroke competitions.

Ramírez, who has been in the law for 17 years, would also like to excel in his other passion: labor law.

I intend to defend the rights of Paralympic athletes and of anyone else. I am a person of just over 1.40 meters, so I have to convince my clients with knowledge. I am stubborn and have a lot of willpower to get ahead.

Mexico will participate in the Paralympic Games with 67 athletes. The goal is to surpass the 22 medals (7-2-13) achieved in Tokyo, where it ranked 20th in the medal table. The Games will be inaugurated on August 28.

A large part of the national delegation is already in Paris, including multi-medal winners Salvador Hernández and Ángeles Ortiz (athletics), as well as the boccia team and the head of mission Juan Pedro Toledo.

The parataekwondo delegation is travelling today.