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Costa Rican athlete, Kenneth Meneses is currently participating in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria and yesterday he won the gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay competition. Kenneth has been competing in athletics, snowshoeing, and bocce since 2013 and has won several medals, which unfortunately he lost in a fire that consumed his house and all his family’s belongings back in 2015.
ESPN shared Kenneth’s story today in an interview and asked him to share his difficult experience after the fire (Video available at the end of the article).
“I was riding my bike going to La Flora (Kenneth is a native from Tucurrique in Cartago), when I was about two blocks away from my house I saw some smoke, but then I saw more smoke and I realized as I got closer that it was my house. In that moment, I didn’t think about my medals, I thought about my brother who was inside the house and the gate was closed, I was thinking on a way to get in, and thanks to a butcher that works close by, he got in, and he pulled my brother out, my other brother was there too and it was harder to get him out, but he (the butcher) was able to help them both. When the firefighters finished putting the fire out my parents started looking to see if something was left, but nothing, I grabbed a shovel and began digging, but my medals were also gone”, explained Meneses.
Meneses, who has an intellectual disability had earned 12 medals at that point between national and regional competitions.
The presenters of ESPN at this point told the athlete that his coach had a surprise for him, the coach came in holding a board with replicas of the medals he lost. Kenneth was unable to hide his emotions as tears began flowing. “I am very thankful with Special Olympics, and the Olympic Games for giving me the motivation to continue moving forward”, he said.
The president of the Special Olympics in Costa Rica, Carlos Valverde, explained that prior to the Austria Olympics, a ESPN team had visited the country to review the profiles from the different athletes participating, and that’s how they learned of Kenneth’s story. The designs of the medals he had won were sent to the network and they took it upon themselves to have new ones made.
The Costa Rican delegation involves 20 athletes and it total has won a total of 5 gold medals and one bronze medal in this event. Valverde commented they take athletes to train near the volcanoes so they can experience a little of the cold weather, they also train in smooth sand beaches to simulate snow. The organization works with kids that have intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, cognitive problems, blindness, deafness and cerebral paralysis, they provide them with opportunities and a space to develop their abilities in the practice of different sports disciplines.
