Rosa Carolina Castro received a warm welcome in her hometown of La Ribera after taking home the Bronze medal in the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo. With the celebratory songs of mariachi resounding through the late afternoon air and the warm applause of her friends and family, community, local authorities and members of the Costa Palmas team, the surprise event brought Carolina, known as “Rosita”, to tears.
Rosita won the Bronze medal representing Mexico on September 4, 2021, throwing the discus for a distance of 33.73 meters, just behind Chinese athletes Mi Na (Gold, 38.50 meters) and Li Yingli (33.73) meters. At just 19 years of age, this was Rosita’s debut at the Paralympics, making her the first athlete from Los Cabos to participate in the Paralympic games. This is an exceptional feat for anyone, but especially for Rosita who lives with cerebral palsy.
“We started this as a game and we ended up in Tokyo,” said Rosita’s coach and trainer, Humberto Cosío Agúndez. “Rosita and I would like this to serve as an example of perseverance, of work – of love for what we do.”