Vicente Enrique Almonacid Heyl

Started: He began swimming at age eight, and started taking the sport seriously in 2015 at the National Stadium Aquatic Centre in Santiago, Chile. (Athlete, 10 Sep 2019; paralimpicoschile.com, 14 Dec 2018; Isapre Colmena YouTube channel, 01 Aug 2017 ) Reason: He tried a number of sports growing up to help with his rehabilitation. "I have always liked sports very much, and growing up it helped me a lot in my rehabilitation. I did handball, soccer, volleyball, running and skateboarding until I tried swimming. I liked it [swimming] because it is a very different sport from the rest. In 2015 I went to train with the national team and never left." (paralimpico.cl, 01 Jun 2020; matiasvsarria.wixsite.com, 26 Dec 2018) Awards: He and Para table tennis player Tamara Leonelli were named flag bearers for Chile for the opening ceremony of the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. (eldeportero.cl, 18 Nov 2023) In 2022 he received the Best of the Best Award in Para sport from the Chilean Sports Journalists Circle. (alairelibre.cl, 21 Dec 2022; santiago2023.org, 01 Dec 2022) Additional Info: TUMOUR In 2021 he was diagnosed with a mediastinal tumour in his chest. He was told it was dangerous to travel to compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and that he had to undergo surgery. He decided to go to Japan, where he finished eighth in the SB8 100m breaststroke, and underwent surgery after his return from the Games. "I paid the price that almost no one does for the Games. I was told one month before travelling that I had a mediastinal tumour. I had to choose between risking my life and accomplishing my dream. It was a big internal fight that almost no one knew about and it ended up affecting me, even if I did not want it to. There were days that I did not want to train, I was in rage and uncertainty. I bet on my dream. The Games are something so big that you only realise it once you are there. Living this five-year process was the most beautiful moment I have ever experienced." (Instagram profile, 10 Sep 2021, 26 Aug 2021; latercera.com, 27 Aug 2021) TATTOO He has a tattoo of a tiger on his right arm. "I do not know what is inside my soul that makes me keep on going. I represent that strength with this tiger. For me it's a big representation of what it means to be resilient and persistent." (24 Horas - TVN Chile YouTube channel, 06 Apr 2023)