Rosa Maria Guerrero Cazares

Started: She took up the sport at an elite level in 2016. (elsoldemazatlan.com.mx, 14 Sep 2019; noroeste.com.mx, 31 Aug 2019; gob.mx, 06 Jun 2019) Reason: She was a non-Para footballer before sustaining an illness that resulted in paraplegia. Afterwards, she initially got involved in wheelchair basketball before being spotted by national coach Ivan Rodriguez Luna, who invited her to train in athletics. One day she was invited to an event organised by the National System for Integral Family Development, and met the Brazilian team that competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She had a chance to try Para athletics events like discus throw and shot put and discovered her talent for the sport. "I really like what I do. I really like sport, and I have enjoyed field athletics a lot since I started." (elsoldesinaloa.com.mx, 27 May 2020; elsoldemazatlan.com.mx, 14 Sep 2019; riodoce.mx, 25 Aug 2019) Ambition: To win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 10 Jul 2023) Awards: In 2023 she received the Best Para Athlete of the Year award at the sports awards ceremony of the city of Mazatlan, Mexico. (luznoticias.mx, 07 Dec 2023) She was presented with the 2019 Sinaloa State Sports Award in Mexico along with Mexican taekwondo athlete Briseida Acosta. (noroeste.com.mx, 20 Nov 2019) She was a recipient of the 2017 Sinaloa State Sports Award in the Para athlete of the Year category. (tvpacifico.mx, 16 Oct 2017)