Alex Roca joins the list of awe-inspiring athletes to break boundaries and set records.
At the start of March, Spanish runner Alex Roca made history when he passed the finishing line of the Barcelona Marathon. Joining over 11,000 other runners for the grueling course, Alex completed the run in an impressive 5 hours, 50 minutes, and 51 seconds.
What makes Alex special, however, is that he is the first athlete in history with a seventy-six percent disability to run a 42-kilometer marathon. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at a young age, Alex certainly wasn't going to let his disability define him.
As he pushed passed the finish line with the same determination as other runners, the pictures that emerged of Alex’s course completion spoke volumes. It was truly an emotional scene. With a beaming smile that expressed both ecstasy and relief, Alex raced into the history books as an inspiring figure and a reminder to us all that disability is far from an obstacle to success.
“Sometimes I even forget my disability percentage because I think that when you have that attitude in your mind, you forget all difficulties,” Alex said in a recent interview.
Alex joins the record books among various other athletes that have rightfully helped to raise awareness of the strength, power, and resilience within the disabled community. We can learn so much from each of them. So, let’s take a moment to celebrate the sportsters that are breaking boundaries and redefining the power of human grit as we know it. I hope you find their messages of resilience as inspiring as I did.
Tatyana McFadden Reminds Us To Never Give Up
Russian-born American athlete Tatyana McFadden is a 20-time Paralympic medalist, a six-time US Paralympian athlete, a five-time world record breaker, and the fastest wheelchair racer of all time. Wowee! Born with spina bifida, Tatyana was paralyzed from the waist down and spent the first few years of her life living in a Russian orphanage. Her adoptive mother turned out to be the commissioner of disabilities for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As a result, Tatyana was encouraged to explore her passions and discover the world of sports. By the age of just 15, she had made her first appearance at the Paralympic Games and would continue onto worldwide fame from there.
“Don’t let your dreams go. It will take a lot of hard work, sacrifice and determination. You will have your good days and you will have your bad days, but if you love [what you do] and you have a purpose for it, just keep going.” — Tatyana talking to CNBC.
Ellie Simmonds Wants Us To Know That Disability Is Normal
British swimmer Ellie Simmonds was breaking records at the tender age of just 13. At the time, she was competing as the youngest member of the British Paralympic team in Beijing, earning herself an impressive two gold medals and instantly achieving international acclaim.
Ellie has achondroplasia, which is a type of dwarfism and fell in love with swimming at an early age. Since her achievements in Beijing, Ellie won countless more medals in the London and Rio Paralympics before announcing her retirement in 2021.
As well as her talents in the pool, Ellie was also widely applauded for deciding to compete on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. Yet again proving to viewers that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, Ellie continues to break boundaries and inspire a new generation in her footsteps.
“I think people shouldn’t think ‘I’m not normal, I’ve got a disability. Overcome that, go out there and enjoy your life and achieve something” -- Ellie speaking to Channel 4 News.
Aaron Fotheringham Thinks A Positive Attitude Is Vital
Aaron was so determined to compete with other sportsters in the skate bowl that he pioneered his very own sport. Born with spina bifida, it was his brother that once encouraged him to drop into the skate bowl with his wheelchair. It took him several tries to land the trick and he’s been immersed in the sporting world ever since.
Using a wheelchair, Aaron is a key figure in the WCMX (or wheelchair motocross) world and was even the first person to perform a backflip and double backflip from a wheelchair.
As well as firmly making a name for himself in BMX and Skateboarding circles, Aaron has also been a stunt double on TV shows like Glee and has even starred on America’s Got Talent: Extreme. How amazing!
“I never felt confined to the wheelchair – it always was a great opportunity so if I could say anything to anyone living in a wheelchair, it’s all about having a positive attitude and just kind of looking for the bright side of things. Wheelchairs provide just as many opportunities as someone with working legs, it’s just you got to get out there and kind of chase it” — Aaron told People Magazine.
Bethany Hamilton gives us all a little bit of courage
“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.”
Born in Hawaii, Bethany quickly fell in love with surfing and competed in the sport as early as eight years old. Despite being a rising star in the sport, her life was transformed in 2003 when she was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark that left her without an arm. Despite her injuries, Bethany’s resilience persevered. Within one month, however, Bethany was back on her board and two years later won the first of many national surfing titles. A-mazing!
As well as being a huge inspiration for others, Bethany has remained an advocate for people pushing past their boundaries and embracing bravery. As a mother, a sports star, a philanthropist, and even a shark conservationist, Bethany is looked up to by many. She has also become a well-known figure thanks to the movies, documentaries and books released about her incredible journey.
What an inspiration!
Honestly, this article could go on. When I got down to researching record breakers for this story, I realized that there are so, so MANY. It fills me with excitement and joy that a lot of people are demonstrating reliance through adversity and serving as an inspiration to all.
Alex, Tatyana, Ellie, Aaron, Bethany and thousands of other disabled athletes demonstrate what is possible. They’ve broken boundaries, shattered stereotypes, and established themselves as true champions. Period.
WHATS UP NEXT …
