Israel Hilario Rimas

Started: He began cycling in Peru in 1997, and moved to Spain in 2006 to become a professional Para cyclist. (Athlete, 10 Sep 2016; publimetro.pe, 28 Sep 2015; diariocorreo.pe, 27 Mar 2015) Reason: He dreamed of becoming an elite athlete from childhood. "The accident took my leg, but I still have my dream of becoming a professional athlete." (20minutos.es, 24 Jul 2006) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instituto Peruano del Deporte YouTube channel, 02 Dec 2022) Awards: He was Peru's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He performed the same role at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada. (ipd.gob.pe, 19 Jul 2016; paralympic.org, 15 Aug 2015) In 2014 and 2015 he was presented with the Silver Hummingbird as the best Peruvian Para athlete of the year by the Peruvian Institute for Sport [IPD]. (elcomercio.pe, 03 May 2016; Instituto Peruano del Deporte Facebook page, 13 Feb 2016) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLANS He plans to retire from competitive Para cycling after competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "I've thought about ending my sporting career in Paris because it's getting tough with the years. So I have to leave a free way for the young riders." (Santa Rosa Radio/TV Facebook page, 23 Jun 2024)