Juan Eduardo Samorano

Started: He took up taekwondo in 2009. He began competing in Para taekwondo in 2017. (elequipo-deportea.com, 16 Jul 2020) Reason: He enrolled in taekwondo after discovering the sport while he was passing by a gym. He practised with non-Para athletes until 2014, at which point he was no longer allowed. He took a three-year break from the sport until a coach told him about Para taekwondo. (paradeportes.com, 23 Apr 2021; elequipo-deportea.com, 16 Jul 2020) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Deportv YouTube channel, 29 May 2024) Milestones: He became the first taekwondo athlete representing Argentina to win a medal at the Paralympic Games by claiming bronze in the -75kg category at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jul 2024) He became the first taekwondo athlete representing Argentina to win a medal at the Parapan American Games by claiming bronze in the -75kg category at the 2019 Games in Lima, Peru. (SportsDeskOnline, 24 Aug 2021) Awards: He received the 2021 Gold Jorge Newbery Award for Athlete of the Year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also received the 2021 Silver Award for Taekwondo Athlete of the Year. (buenosaires.gob.ar, 27 May 2022)