Seeing the performance of the Special Olympics Venezuela athlete, Leonardo Acosta, you would not imagine the difficulties he had during his first years of life. At age 27, Leo competed in snowshoeing, a sport in which he excelled with gold medals during the World Winter Games of Special Olympics in Austria.
Although the temperature in the municipality of Guajira, Zulia, is 30° C, Leo could adapt to blizzards of -0° C in Austria. For their practice in Venezuela, the trainers made handmade rackets with wood, cloth and velcro. They were tied together with stockings of two kilos of sand, each one. Thus, Leo trained day and night in scenarios that simulated the difficulties of walking on snow.
Arriving in Austria, Leo brought his hand to the ground: "I met you, snow. Thank you." Upon his return, he was received as the champion by more than 200 people who came to celebrate his achievements. Leo proved proved that the secret of success is dedication.