He is one of the best Para athletes at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games and he just won a silver medal for our country, but before achieving this great dream, he lived a nightmare that can only be compared to a series of fiction on Netflix.

This strong policeman, native from Ayacucho, survived nine bullets, which caused injuries to a lung and damage to the spinal cord, where a bullet was also embedded.

Everything happened in the early morning of March 30, 2013, during the celebration of a "palo cilulo" or "yunza", in the district of La Esperanza, in Trujillo. While trying to find a new informant, he was ambushed by criminals, who unleashed a series of bullets at him.

He woke up and found himself in intensive care unable to move and was hospitalized for six months. During this hard time, his girlfriend did not leave his side and she also showed that her love was bulletproof.

Arcela, the brave member of the National Police who beat death, competed in the 10 m air rifle prone event, in category SH1, against USA’s Taylor Farmer and placed second, claiming the silver medal.

In the last phase of the competition, Arcela remained in the first positions, which helped him secure a medal that would then turn into silver. Farmer won gold for his greater precision in the last shot.

Learn more about the results of the competitions of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.

The Peruvian Para athlete is a life example. He overcame death and gave us this message in tears:

"I want to dedicate this medal to my family because they were always by my side. Thanks Ayacucho, my hometown. I’m thankful for God’s blessings. This is for Peru and all those who accompanied me".

Well done, Jorge! For your tenacity in the police service, your strength in your personal life and for the great effort and talent in your Para sports career, you are an example of the Parapan American values: courage, determination, equality and inspiration. If we were looking for an example of a Peruvian, you have shown us that our heart has the necessary strength to turn tragedies into anecdotes because our story has only one author and the ink with which it is written is our own will.

The Parapan American Games continue to do their job inside and outside the fields: inspire us and change our lives.

If you want to follow Jorge's achievements, visit his Instagram: @jorgeargo19