Photo: Chantel | Unsplash
A figure skater born out of the tropical heat of Mexico seems more fiction than fact, but for Donovan Carillo, it is fact. The graceful 22-year-old man will be competing in the Winter Olympic Games, becoming just the fourth Mexican ever to do so. The path was far from easy, pitted with inconveniences and sacrifices. For one, it was hard for Carillo to find a rink in Mexico to practice in his early years, so he went to a shopping mall rink, sharing ice with wobbling adults and children. Recreational skaters sometimes would tell him to turn off his speakers when he practiced to songs. Later, the skating rink of his only coach Gregorio Nez was shut down, compelling Carillo to relocate three hours away for his dream. It was painful for his mother. His mother battled depression and both his parents cried often. But they believed in their son nonetheless. Nine years later, love, grit, and sacrifice overcome odds. Carillo has finished top 10 in six major international events. He can also land the triple axel and quadruple salchowamong some of the hardest maneuvers in figure skating. "Donovan has shown that despite how complicated it is, it is not impossible," says his coach. "When you dream something and fight for that something, and you believe in it, sooner or later life adjusts, and you get that prize."
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