Pedro Vivar, Almendralejo (Badajoz), is 23 years old, he is a passionate about Information Technology currently studying computer programming. He loves sport, specially races because he can meet new people and travel to discover other cities. His disability is not an impediment to do so.

Three years ago, he met Jaime in Includes, a people with disabilities association from his city. Jaime has been working there for four years as a physiotherapist and Pedro goes there every week for his physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions. Due to this connection, Pedro and Jaime became friends right away and, with Fran Pardo, another member of the association, they ran together their first 42 kilometres on Seville Marathon, on February of 2018.

Since that moment they never stopped: marathons, half marathons and many other races. Pedro came up with the idea of running the Ponle Freno race with Jaime, Carlos (Jaime’s brother) and Jesús and Jorge (another two friends) joined them. Till now, they have already run three editions together. «I like Ponle Freno races because I can collaborate with different causes, and also for the nice atmosphere they have in Madrid and because I like spending a nice weekend there with my family and friends» says Pedro, who also explains they normally prepare themselves for the races training during the weekends.

Last year they had to adapt to the new sanitary circumstances and celebrate it virtually, but that did not stop them: they not only joined the race, but won the photography contest of Ponle Freno, carried out last February through the races Instagram’s account. A video of the four friends celebrating it was also published. Pedro is looking forward for the pandemic to be over to go back to his normal life and to practice his favourite sports: races, boccia and slamon.

Pedro has always enjoyed sport. About inclusion and participation of those who have disabilities in these activities, Pedro thinks that «sport is a nice and healthy hobby, and it must be practiced by everybody without distinction of conditions or capacities. It is not about dis-abilities, it is about looking things from another perspective and see the abilities, enjoying all those things that we are capable of doing».

Pedro and his friends have shown that it is possible, and above all very important, to include people with disabilities in sports, and this is a message that follows their motto: “we progress slower, but all together”.