Kenia Yesenia Villalobos Vargas

Started: She took up Para triathlon in 2019. (Teleton Mexico YouTube channel, 06 Apr 2024) Reason: She was inspired to pursue a sporting career with the goal of representing Mexico after watching the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Initially a Para swimmer, she later switched to Para triathlon after missing out on the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. "I asked myself, 'What's next? Do I keep on training or not?' It was a sort of depression so I began with Para triathlon as a hobby. I didn't want to train specifically for swimming, I wanted to do something different. Then the [COVID-19] pandemic happened and the swimming pool closed so I could only run and ride my bike. So I focused on those sports and then I realised I was fully in on triathlon." (infobae.com, 06 May 2024; Teleton Mexico YouTube channel, 06 Apr 2024) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (gob.mx, 23 Sep 2023) Awards: She received the Aguascalientes State Sports Award for Para Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2023. (Instituto del Deporte del Estado de Aguascalientes Facebook page, 20 Nov 2023; heraldo.mx, 21 Oct 2023; agssports.com, 20 Nov 2017) In 2023 she received the Medal for Sports Merit in Aguascalientes, Mexico. (saladeprensags.com, 18 Aug 2023)