Rosbil 'Maravilla' Guillén never imagined being recognized so quickly for his achievements. He has not even been in Para athletics for a year and already has a gold medal in the Parapan American Games, the premier competition in the continent.
But that's not all the Para athlete from Huaytará, Huancavelica achieved. Thanks to his victory at Lima 2019, he will be competing with the best in the world at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. Something he did not imagine at the beginning of the year when he decided to fully commit to high-level competition.
Rosbil Guillén is a new name in Para sport. Two years ago, he could not have imagined being in the spotlight. He never thought he would achieve remarkable success so quickly, as he only started training with greater interest since January, when he decided to travel to Huancayo to work with Sunil Serna, who was coaching Efraín Sotacuro.
In a few months, they realized his potential and he earned the right to participate in the Parapan American Games, where he surprised everyone by winning the 1500 meters competition, T 11 category (Para athletes who run with visual impairments and are assisted by guides), in Lima 2019. It was Peru's first gold medal and with it came better news for the Huancavelican runner, who also lived in Ica.
Thanks to his times in the competition, the Peruvian National Paralympic Association, presided over by Lucha Villar, informed him that his next challenges will be the Dubai World Para Athletics Championships, to be held in November, and most importantly, he will compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the most important event in the world. "Thanks to God, they informed us that we will be at the Dubai World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. I will compete in the 1500 and 500 meters, along with my guide Rio Ferdinand Cereceda, but this time we will be together until the end," said the Peruvian Para athlete joyously.
Rosbil Guillén acknowledges his happiness for winning a gold medal so soon. "I feel a lot of happiness, especially when they told me that I won the gold in the 1500 meters. I had been expecting it for a year. I once dreamed of winning a medal and it happened. We worked hard to reclaim the medal we lost in the 5000 meters, although I don't consider it revenge. Entering Para sport was a difficult decision, I didn't imagine being in it two years ago. It wasn't my goal, but suddenly I started improving my times and I progressed to a good level," says the Para athlete.
"All these victories are thanks to my guides (Carlos Gálvez and Rio Ferdinand Cereceda, with whom he won the 5000 and 1500 meters). I like Para athletics and that's why I decided to train (I also played Football 5). It is an honor to represent my country and that's why I feel so much joy in winning a medal. I am grateful to God and I am very happy to be recognized by my fellow countrymen. Thanks to everyone who supported me. The advice of Gladys Tejeda, Efraín Sotacuro, Luis Sandoval, who always encouraged me to reach where I am," said Rosbil Guillén.
Thanks to Rosbil Guillén, Peru won a gold medal in the Parapan American Games after 12 years, when Jimmy Eulert obtained three gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m backstroke events in Para swimming at Rio 2007.
Source: Lima 2019