He loves taekwondo, he loves fighting...
I told him since he was little, “You can achieve whatever you want.”
In his life, he is a warrior.
I am the first world champion in Mexico for Para-Taekwondo
I don’t limit myself.
That is very important to me.
I come from a working-class family, from a small town.
Well, people say Sinaloan’s are fighters who go forward, and are never scared.
Interviewer: And Juan Diego is...?
Like that.. From Sinaloa, 100%.
He was a very active boy.
Hyperactive I think it’s the right word.
So his teacher invited him to his school, where he taught classes...
I actually discovered Taekwondo thanks to professor Raimundo when I was five.
I saw something in him that told me “This kid is talented.”
He was excited, he was full of jokes...
The vibe was really fun...
He had fun with everything he did.
Having that disadvantage, missing his arm,
he dedicated more than a conventional kid, who has everything.
I consider myself a very competitive person.
My parents always supported me.
They never looked at me as a person with a disability.
Why? Because I’ve proved myself to them.
He proved to me he was able to do anything. He always told me, “Mom, I can.”
We went out to events and he always competed with conventional kids.
I liked it a lot because the other kids thought...
“But he doesn’t have an arm. How did he win?”
I took him to the selective tournament, he became national champion...
...and from there, he was called up to the national team.
When Juan Diego became part of the national team
and started training with me he was 15.
He came to me and said “I want to work harder.”
“I want to move forward and accomplish my goal in the next world championship.”
And that is how he became world champion.
Well, I am very proud of him.
We are very proud as parents and the whole family and the village are proud too.
When Juan Diego won the world championship,
everyone welcomed him at the airport and on the main street.
I am the first world champion in Mexico for Para-Taekwondo...
I look around and see where I started, where I am now and where I am going.
María Espinoza...
...triple Olympic medalist.
She’s a very important role model to me because we’re both from Sinaloa...
I want to be where she is and now I’m on that path.
We’re all eager for the Paralympic Games.
It’s the first time that Para-Taekwondo will be featured in the Paralympics.
We know it’s going to debut in Tokyo.
It’s something I really want, to go to those Paralympic Games...
...not only to participate but to make history.
He wants to work harder. He knows how hard the world championship was.
And he knows that the Paralympics Games will take triple the work.
I’ve met a lot of people that ask me for tips...
I tell them, when I started Taekwondo it was a hobby,
but bit by bit I begin to learn more and more.
I think nothing is impossible.
That is very important to me.