The Peruvian Para athletes lived a unique experience that afternoon. They were recognized last Sunday by the Alianza Lima Club after their excellent performance at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, where they won 15 historic medals. It was their best participation in the largest multi-sports event in the continent.

The Lima 2019 gold medalists,Pedro Pablo De Vinatea (Para badminton) and Angélica Espinoza (Para taekwondo), as well as the bronze medalists Rodrigo Santillán (Para swimming) and Jesús Salvá (Para badminton), were recognized during the match between Alianza Lima and Real Garcilaso from Cusco,

Members of the Para badminton, football 5-a-side, sitting volleyball, Para swimming, football 7-a-side and Para taekwondo delegations also participated in this ceremony and enjoyed the football match of Alianza Lima. The crowd at the stadium praised the efforts of the Para athletes who brought joy to the country.

Photo: National Paralympic Association of Peru.

Medalist from the Pan American and Parapan American Games, the ones who left everything on the field to give us more than one joy, received an award from the Mayor of Lima, Jorge Muñoz, in the presence of the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra. 

Once the ceremony was over, one of them had to take the floor and the responsible was the Parapan American Para badminton champion, who excitedly stated: “I want to thank you for this moment, as it will help us to move forward.”  

Pilar pointed out that the opinion towards the Para athletes has changed a lot thanks to the Games. “Lima 2019 has given us many opportunities, not only in terms of sports but also socially, as these Games have allowed our country to continue growing with respect, values and to become a more inclusive society.”  

Lima 2019 Ambassador said that the Games allowed the athletes and Para athletes to fulfill their dreams of being champions. “Lima 2019 is not over, this has just began, because in terms of sports, society and education, we have to move forward,” she added.   

The following Parapan American medalists were also present in the ceremony: Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, Angélica Espinoza, Rosbil Guillén, Jorge Arcela, Carlos Felipa, William Fernández, Jesús Salvá and Fred Villalobos.  

Likewise, the following Pan American medalists also attended this celebration: John Trebejo, Carlos Lam, Natalia Cuglievan, Alonso Wong, María Fernanda Reyes, Marcela Castillo, Leodan Pezo, José María Lúcar, Yuliana Bolívar, Sol Romaní, Saida Salcedo, Mallory Aco, Ariana Vera, Renzo Saux, Marko Carrillo, Nicolás Pacheco, Luis Bardelez, Thalía Mallqui, Nathaly Paredes, Mía Rodríguez, Itzel Delgado, and Hugo del Castillo, who was represented by his father.  

In this meeting—attended by the President of the National Paralympic Association of Peru, Luisa Villar, and the International Olympic Committee representative, Iván Dibós—the President of the Lima 2019 Games Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, also received an award.  

Thus, a fair recognition was given to our athletes and Para athletes, who heightened Peru’s name at Lima 2019.

Muchos momentos quedarán en nuestros recuerdos, comenzando el 22 de agosto, cuando comenzaron las competiciones de los Juegos Parapanamericanos Lima 2019 . Un total de 1890 atletas para para de 30 países que nos visitaron en Lima 2019 nos dieron hermosos momentos de victoria y pérdida; Permanecerán para siempre en los recuerdos de todos.

1. La chilena Tamara Leonelli ganó la primera medalla de oro en Lima 2019 en el segundo día de competencia y se convirtió en la primera en clasificarse para los Juegos Paralímpicos de Tokio 2020.
2. El Estadio Nacional estuvo abarrotado durante la Ceremonia de Apertura de los Juegos Parapanamericanos de Lima 2019, que impresionó a todos con la inclusión emocional de las personas con discapacidad en el espectáculo. El campeón paralímpico peruano Jimmy Eulert fue elegido para encender el caldero.
3. La para atleta Rosbil Guillén ganó la primera medalla de oro para Perú en la clase T11 de 1500 metros. Con esta victoria, el atleta Para de Huancayo se vengó, ya que días antes había perdido la medalla de oro en los 5000 metros después de ser descalificado por separarse de su guía en la línea de meta.
4. Perú alcanzó un número histórico de medallas de oro en los Juegos Parapanamericanos con las victorias de Pedro Pablo de Vinatea y Pilar Jáuregui en el bádminton Para. Para ciclista Israel Hilario y la atleta de Para taekwondo Angélica Espinoza también encabezaron el podio para un total de cinco medallas de oro. Además, Perú reclamó tres medallas de plata y siete de bronce, lo que representa un total de 15 medallas.
5. Brasil encabezó la mesa final de medallas por cuarta vez consecutiva en los Juegos Parapanamericanos. Con la mayor delegación en su historia, Brasil también superó el mayor número de medallas en un solo evento continental: 124 de oro y 308 en total. Un récord impresionante.
6. México, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador y Colombia también superaron sus mejores actuaciones en la historia de los Juegos Parapanamericanos.
7. El judoca mexicano Eduardo Ávila entró en la historia del deporte en su país después de ganar su cuarto título parapanamericano consecutivo. Con sus dos medallas de oro en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Beijing 2008 y Río 2016, y otros dos títulos mundiales, es considerado como uno de los judokas más exitosos de América.
8. La para atleta brasileña Verónica Hipólito es el mejor ejemplo de que todo es posible en la vida. Después de superar dos cirugías en la cabeza que la dejaron en cama durante dos años, llegó al último lugar de la cuota unos días antes del inicio de Lima 2019. Los médicos le dieron pocas oportunidades de competir nuevamente y ganar medallas, ya que asumieron que esto era poco probable . Sin embargo, ganó tres medallas de plata y todo el continente estaba encantado con su historia de superación personal.
9. Después de ganar el evento de estilo libre de 50 metros, la nadadora de Para, Joana Silva, rompió a llorar en el podio. Meses antes, había perdido a su padre y estaba a punto de abandonar esta disciplina. Sin embargo, ella se recuperó, prometiéndole a su difunto padre que haría lo mejor que pudiera, y así sucedió: ganó seis medallas en Lima 2019, un total de 15 desde su debut en los Juegos Parapanamericanos de Guadalajara 2011.
10. Las gemelas brasileñas Debora y Beatriz Carneiro fueron una curiosidad en los Juegos. Han estado entrenando juntos desde que eran niños y, cuando compiten entre ellos, siempre comparten los títulos. En Lima 2019, obtuvieron el primer y segundo lugar en los eventos de braza de 100m y de popurrí individual de 200m. Por supuesto, Debora ganó el primer evento y Beatriz el segundo, para mantener la tradición.
11. Brasil ganó en el fútbol 5, un deporte para personas con discapacidad visual, alcanzando la gloria de los Juegos Parapanamericanos por cuarta vez en el Centro Deportivo Villa María del Triunfo. Los cinco veces campeones mundiales derrotaron a Argentina por 2-0 en la final, con las estrellas Jefinho y Cassio anotando los goles ganadores.
12. El equipo brasileño de fútbol 7, compuesto por personas con parálisis cerebral, también se llevó la medalla de oro después de derrotar a Argentina. Con esta victoria, los "canarinhos" aseguraron su tercer título en la competencia, después de ganar en Río 2007 y Toronto 2015.
13. En el juego más emotivo de Lima 2019, Canadá venció a Estados Unidos en la final de baloncesto femenino en silla de ruedas. El equipo femenino canadiense ganó el partido por una diferencia de tres puntos, pero este juego apretado se fue al grano, ya que los estadounidenses estaban en posesión de la pelota en la última jugada. Tenían ocho segundos para jugar, pero perdieron su última oportunidad de igualar y forzar un período de tiempo extra. Así es el deporte: no hay ganadores hasta que termine la competencia.
14. Con más de 170,000 espectadores, Lima 2019 batió un récord de asistencia a los Juegos Parapanamericanos. Además de este hito, Lima 2019 fue considerada la competencia multideportiva mejor organizada en la historia parapanamericana, así como el evento con el sistema de transporte más accesible en todas las ediciones de los Juegos.
15. El penúltimo día de la competencia Para Badminton se jugó en un ambiente deportivo emocional, lleno de fanáticos peruanos en el Centro Deportivo 2 de VIDENA, incluida la base oficial de fanáticos de Perú, "La Blanquirroja". El mismo día en que Pedro Pablo de Vinatea reclamó oro para Perú, el guatemalteco Raúl Anguiano hizo historia para su país después de ganar su primera y única medalla de oro en seis ediciones de los Juegos Parapanamericanos.

Lima 2019 will be the fondest memory for the Para athletes who, thanks to the Parapan American Games, were recognized by a country that valued their efforts to bring joy to all Peruvians. This morning, the 15 Para athletes who had the honor of winning a medal received well-deserved recognition. 

The Government Palace opened its doors so that President Martín Vizcarra could award a distinction to the Para athletes, in the rank of “Comendador,” under Supreme Resolution No. 141-2019-RE. This decoration was awarded to the gold medalists: Pilar Jáuregui (Para badminton, WH2), Angélica Espinoza (Para taekwondo, K44 -49 kg), Pedro Pablo de Vinatea (Para badminton, SL3), Rosbil Guillén (Para athletics, 1500 m T11) and Israel Hilario (Para cycling road, men’s time trial C1-2). 

The Para athletes who obtained a silver medal were also awarded this decoration: Luis Sandoval (Para athletics, 5000 m T11), Carlos Felipa (Para athletics, shot put F63) and Jorge Arcela (shooting Para sport, mixed 10 m air rifle prone SH1). The same distinction was awarded to the bronze medalists: Noemí Vásquez (Para powerlifting, -50 kg), Efraín Sotacuro (Para athletics, 1500 m T46), Héctor Salvá (Para badminton, SS63), Rodrigo Santillán (Para swimming, men’s 100 m backstroke S2 (S1)), William Fernández (Para taekwondo, K44 -61kg), Fred Villalobos (Judo -81 kg) and Dunia Felices (Para swimming, women’s 50 m butterfly S5 (S1-S4)). Peru obtained five gold, three silver and seven bronze medals at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.  

On behalf of the Para athletes, Pedro Pablo de Vinatea gave thanks for the support they received to achieve good results. “On behalf of all athletes and Para athletes, I want to thank the generous support of the Peruvian Government. These medals will remain in our hearts. We’re proud to inspire our fellow Peruvians. Now they recognize and congratulate us. We’re respected and admired. They now see us as highly competitive athletes. We were able to put on a great show and we’re Peruvian winners. From now on there’s no turning back. We’ve made the whole country proud. And we want the Government to continue support Para sports. On behalf of all sports, thank you very much, Mr. President,” said a moved De Vinatea during his speech. 

The Para athletes and the president of the National Paralympic Association of Peru, Lucha Villar, gave President Martín Vizcarra replicas of the Lima 2019 medals and the Peruvian delegation’s jacket as a thank you. 

The atmosphere was impressive. The Para badminton competitions at Lima 2019 were coming to an end. On the court, Peruvian Pilar Jáuregui was facing off Canadian Yuka Chokyu in the WH2 class (person in a wheelchair with mobility in the trunk).

The first set was a contested affair. Chokyu, who has taken part in three Paralympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008), made things hard for Jáuregui. However, the Peruvian player managed to display her top game, particularly in the second set (21-1).

“This was our goal. This achievement is the result of our double training and all our sacrifice. I never expected such encouragement from the fans. They’ve made all this special and unique,” stated Pilar.

Proud Parents

Martín Vizcarra, President of Peru, and Carlos Neuhaus, President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, were on the grandstands. Only a few meters away, a couple of proud parents were unable to hold back their excitement.

They were Pilar’s parents: Raquel and Gerardo. “It’s been amazing to see Pilar win on home soil, at this beautiful venue. It’s been wonderful,” her mother stated.

“What we parents have to go through with our children is really tough. But we have to carry on and support them to pursue their dreams. It’s impossible to put how we feel into words. It's a feeling of pride and love for our country,” her father stressed.

“This medal belongs to them, to my family, because they’ve always supported me,” the Lima 2019 Ambassador said.

Presidential Medal

The medal ceremony featured Peruvian President, Martín Vizcarra. Pilar received her medal and left a message for him

“I hope he continues to support Para athletes because we’ve shown that we can succeed. I’m sure that, after the Games, many kids are going to feel like taking up sports,” the medalist ended.

The last day of the Parapan American Games gave us one of the most vibrant Para badminton S6 finals between the Brazilian Tavares and the American Krajweski.

The gold went to Vitor Tavares, who had recently claimed three bronze medals at the Para-Badminton World Championships. Before moving to the final and claiming the gold, Tavares had defeated 2-0 the Peruvian Jesús Salvá, who ended up collecting the bronze.

“It was a very important competition for me because I wanted to obtain the gold medal,” he said.

Miles Krajewski from the USA also received a round of applause from the spectators on the stands, including the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, who was accompanied by Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.

“I liked this competition. Vitor is a great player and won the game fairly,” said the American.

At age 14, Miles Krajewski became one of the youngest Para athletes in the Games and proved he is a promising talent in this category. Krajewski came to Lima 2019 with the mission of winning the gold medal and obtain a ticket for Tokyo 2020.  

The month of September starts with the closing of the competitions of the most important sports event in the continent. In this framework, Peru will seek to win his lasts medals and close its Parapan American participation with a grand finale.

It will be the acclaimed Lima 2019 Ambassador, Pilar Jáuregui—who comes from relentlessly defeating Cuba and United States—who will try win against the Canadian Yuka Chokyu in the women’s singles event, category WH2. Pilar will seek to win the gold medal for Peru in the Sports Center 3 at the National Sports Village, starting at 08:00.

On the same day, Brazil will compete against United States in an impressive final in which the winner of the gold medal in the men’s singles, category SS6, will be defined. In the same way, the Brazilian team will compete against Canada in the mixed doubles event, category SL3-SU5.

Likewise, in Para cycling road, Peru will be represented by the experienced Lima 2019 Ambassador, Israel Hilario, who has recently acquired a gold medal, and by the outstanding Para athlete Yuber Pichihua, who won a silver medal in the Paracycling Pan American Circuit held in Brazil. Both will seek to reach gold in the final of the road race, category C1-3.

The competition, which will gather the most outstanding Para cyclist of the continent, will begin at 10:00 in the Costa Verde circuit in San Miguel. In this same venue, starting at 08:00, the final of the mixed road cycling event will take place in the H1-2, H3-5, T1-2 categories, among others.

Finally, the Villa El Salvador Sports Center will host, starting at 09:00, the exciting finals of boccia, in the following categories: pairs BC3, teams BC1/BC2, and pairs BC4.

Thus, the challenges of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games culminate, with the possibility that Peru reaches the podium again and, consequently, improves its position in the medal table looking to leave a Para sports legacy that will serve as inspiration for future generations.

Almost six years ago he witnessed how Lima was chosen to host the Pan American and Parapan American Games. This time, the stage was different. The Sports Center 3 was full of people to cheer the Para badminton final for the gold medal in the men’s SL3 category.

Pedro Pablo de Vinatea looked at the grandstands and raised his hand to greet all those present. He knew it was the crucial moment to achieve his goal of winning the medal, but first he had to beat the Brazilian Zuffo.

Even the President of the Peru, Martín Vizcarra, was present in the grandstands, next to the President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, and the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons. “La Blanquirroja” was also present and gave all its support.

At the end, Pedro Pablo achieved his goal, he beat Zuffo 2-0 and won the long-awaited medal. It was like that October 11, 2013 in Toronto, where he managed to bring the venue to our country. “In that moment, it was a wish, but throughout these six years, many things happened. And although I dreamt it, I realized it was possible and that I had to go step by step, that was the recipe that worked for me. This is more important than any other championship, than any world championship,” said Pedro Pablo.

It was president Martín Vizcarra who awarded him with the medal, a special moment for him. “The match finished and I began to connect with people. Throughout the game I felt the energy, I felt the cheers of the fanbase, that made me score some points,” he added.

Excited, with the medal on his neck and the cuchimilco in one hand, Pedro Pablo sent a message for all those who identify with him: “they can also win, they can also compete, which is what I have been doing for a long time.”

The Parapan American Games were not only a sporting and organizational success, but they also generated a lot of expectation in several disciplines. This afternoon, the Sports Center 3 at VIDENA showed a full house again in the final won by Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, in an unprecedented sporting environment for Para badminton.

This support chain, which helps to promote Para sports in Peru, was always one of the goals that De Vinatea pursued. However, this should only serve as a starting point for improving the conditions for athletes with an impairment. The mother of the Parapan American champion, Rosario Estrada de Vinatea, expressed how she felt with this experience.

“The public has captured the love that Pedro Pablo has for his sport and this is just the beginning of what he always dreamed of. He always says that each triumph of his teammates makes him feel like a winner, because he has really connected with the people who leave everything to reach their goals. This is an example for all society, because it makes us unite around the sport that gives us all happiness,” she said.

The President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, was among the group of spectators, while the cheers were in charge of ‘La Blanquirroja’. In fact, its members were present in most of the competitions in which Peruvian Para athletes participated. Jair Villanueva, the founder of ‘La Blanquirroja’, explained the reasons behind this mobilization.

“This movement that was seen in Lima 2019 is part of what we call Peruvian revolution, which is part of the culture of support for all the Peruvian athletes we are promoting. We want to be the fanbase of all Peruvians and this is just the beginning, because we are planning to continue at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said Villanueva.

He was present right from the start of the competition, rooting for Pedro Pablo de Vinatea that was playing for the gold. The President of the Republic of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, attended the Para badminton final of the men’s SL3 category. 

The Head of State watched the exciting match next to Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, and Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee.

The Sports Center 3 was completely packed with fans, including members of Peru’s official fanbase, “La blanquirroja”, who gave a Peruvian flag to the President before the match. 

After Peru claimed the gold, the whole sports center erupted in cheers, while the spectators gave a thunderous round of applause to the Para athlete.  

Moreover, Vizcarra had the honor of handing over the gold medal to Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, a moment filled with emotions that made the VIDENA vibrate with excitement.