The Barcelona Marathon 2023 will go down in history due to the participation of a Alex Roca, who became the first person in the world with a severe disability to complete the race. The Catalan athlete registered a time of 5 hours, 50 minutes and 51 seconds.
The exhaustive preparation by the hand of a coach, physical trainer and psychologist paid off, since the now marathon runner achieved what we had never seen before. In addition, he boasts a story of overcoming and is an example to analyze the limitations that we believe we have in front of us.
Alex Roca was born in 1991 and suffered a herpetic viral encephalitis at just 6 months. This disease is associated with the herpes virus and he himself explains it more simply as brain herpes. As a consequence of this, a physical disability reached 76 percent that affects the left part of his body.
The prognosis of several doctors was that he would not be able to live. However, the now athlete boasts a practically normal life in which he studies, works and carries out activities by himself. In addition, Alex Roca communicates through sign language.
“For me sport is very important in my day to day, I see it as a lifestyle to improve myself. I believe that no one can put limits on you, but that the limits are set by yourself. Each one being master of his destiny and his possibilities“Alex explains in his website.
Alex Roca’s achievements in sport and his relationship with Barcelona
In 2019 he became the first person with cerebral palsy to finish the 2019 TITAN DESERT and that’s not all. Alex Roca has completed 5 triathlons and 4 half marathons: Barcelona 2019 and 2022, as well as New York and Miami in 2022.
And before finishing the Barcelona marathon, the city club expressed its support for Alex to get even more motivated. However, the relationship between both parties goes beyond a message. rock is only ambassador with a disability in the Foundation of the blaugrana club.
The aim of working with Barça is “make people aware of putting aside the prejudices that surround us and promoting respect for diversity“So Alex Roca is leaving his mark in every way.
