Alfonso Cabello Llamas

Started: He was given a bike at age 11. (ciclismoadaptado.es, 26 Jan 2011) Reason: Doctors encouraged him to ride to strengthen the left side of his body. (marca.com, 10 Apr 2014) Awards: He was named Para Athlete of the Year at the 2021 Andalusian Sports Awards in Spain. (eldiadecordoba.es, 10 Oct 2022) In 2020 he was named Andalusian Athlete of Gold by the Sports Journalists' Federation of Andalusia in Spain. (cordopolis.es, 17 Feb 2020) In 2018 he was named Sportsman of the Year by the Association of Sports Journalists of Cordoba in Spain. (cordobahoy.es, 27 Dec 2018) He received the 2016 Valores Sociales award at the Cordoba Athlete of the Year Awards in Spain. (diariocordoba.com, 16 Jun 2017) A sports hall and a street in his hometown of La Rambla, Spain, have been named after him. (cliclismoafondo.es, 25 Dec 2022; avancedeportivo.es, 04 Jul 2018) Additional Info: LONG COVID In December 2021 he contracted COVID-19, and the after-effects of the virus lingered to the point where he was diagnosed with 'long COVID'. The physical impact on him meant that he did not compete between the rescheduled 2020 Paralympic Games and mid-2023. His treatment during that period included hyperbaric medicine. "At the beginning I didn't have any symptoms but two days later I was very sick. I couldn't ride my bike, I didn't sleep and I couldn't get out of bed. My oxygen saturation level was that of a 90-year-old. I had to stop all sport for five months. Those were very difficult months because I didn't know how to face it. When you get injured you have an idea of how long it will take to be back in shape, but with long COVID you don't. That uncertainty killed me. [Hyperbaric medicine] helped me to regain my vitality and the strength to get back to training. Wearing a competition bib again was like a victory for me because I wondered if I would ever be able to do it again." (marca.com, 24 Jul 2023) NON-PARA CYCLING He has competed in non-Para track cycling. In 2018 he won bronze in the 1km time trial at the Spanish championships, and the following year he improved to the silver medal position. "I showed that I am a high-performance athlete, like the rest of the competitors. I showed again that an impairment is not a problem. I dream of winning gold, why not? I have shown that I am capable of doing it." (marca.com, 27 Dec 2019, 23 Sep 2018) MECHANIC He runs a vehicle workshop at his home in Pozoblanco, Spain. "My first priority is my sporting career but I am building a future for myself for when my career as a cyclist is over. The fact that people trust a one-armed mechanic is outstanding. One may think that I have limitations but that's not true. I'm very skilled." (marca.com, 24 Jul 2023)