Luis Pablo Sepulveda knows obstacles come with opportunities

Luis Pablo Sepulveda originally shared his story with Yoocan, a global collaborative community where people with disabilities share experiences and knowledge — so that no one feels alone. Yoocan and Why We Play are a natural match and overlap in the most important thing for our community INSPIRATION. FanSided is excited to partner with Yoocan and share some of their stories on our website — exciting and fantastic sports stories from people with disabilities. Come check out more of our joint material, and keep following for collaborations!

Hello, my name is Luis Pablo Sepulveda, I am from Chile and this is my story. Due to Cancer (synovial sarcoma) in my right knee in March 2019 my right leg was amputated above the knee. At the end of April, I began to walk with my first prosthetic and in August of the same year, I started running with a running prosthetic. 

I later bought running prosthetics on eBay, and I soon joined a team of parathletes in Chile. A company called CliefMedical saw my athletic and motivational potential and sponsored me for a pair of athletic prosthetics which are made for running, cycling, and climbing. 

In November of that same year, I ran my first 100-meter race and got third place! This was my crowning achievement, for it catapulted me into the T63 category in racing and the long jump. 

Now, I am dedicated to running marathons and I hope to run a duathlon in the future. I also participate in other sports such as cycling, skiing, paddling, bouldering, soccer, and skating!

That sums up my athletic life, but I do so much more. I work as the supervisor of operations in a mineral mine. I work for 7 days and then have another 7 days off, which lets me grow professionally and athletically. This also gives me time to spend with my family, specifically my wife Paula and my daughters Francisca and Josefa. 

Life does not give you obstacles without opportunities. You must try your hardest and achieve all you can because life's too short to waste it.

Why We Play features stories about the power of sports to bring us together, overcome obstacles, make positive change and reach everyone. Read more here.