On his way to his eighth Olympic Games

He has no idea how many titles he has won. And that's no joke. 'I have an Excel file at home...', he innocently excuses himself, an exceptional human being. Positive, warm, empathetic, and competitive like few others in the world, Ricardo Ten Argilés (Valencia, 11 August 1975) is on his way to his eighth Paralympic Games.

After being the Spanish flag bearer in Paris, where at almost 49 years of age he won three more medals - one gold, one silver and one bronze for a total of 11 in his career, seven in swimming between Atlanta 1996 and London 2012, and four in his subsequent career as a cyclist - the circle seemed to close perfectly... but apparently, he has no intention of stopping.

Last October, in Rio de Janeiro, he won three more golds and a silver at the Para-cycling Track World Championships, bringing his career total to 20 rainbow jerseys, 35 medals at world championships, and 30 in World Cups... And we are only talking about his achievements as a cyclist, because, as a swimmer, he won hundreds of titles and medals – Olympic, national, international – over more than two decades as a professional before leaping into cycling in 2017.

Overcoming disability

When he was eight years old, playing near his home, he touched a high-voltage cable, and his life changed forever. He lost both arms and his left leg, and 75% of his body suffered severe burns. But what, for many, would have been an insurmountable tragedy... for Ricardo was an opportunity to prove that we are dealing with an exceptional human being.

With the love and constant support of his family and, above all, extraordinary mental strength, Ricardo found in sport a way of life through which to overcome any disability. Today, at over 50 years of age, he is not only a living legend of Spanish sport, but also continues to live a normal life with an impressive naturalness.

'The champion's time'

'People always ask me if I drive,' he jokes as he takes off his jacket with astonishing ease, the man who reacted with a smile to the controversial gift of a watch after his victory at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow. 'What time is it?' they asked him in a post he uploaded to social media about it. 'The champion's time,' replied Ricardo, who does indeed wear a watch on his left stump. And without any problem.

An example and role model for many people, Ricardo, who spent thousands of hours training in the swimming pool at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), now returns to what was his home for so long to lead the UPV Paracycling Team, a new step forward in the UPV's commitment to integration and recognition of talent.

'I will be proud to defend the colours of the UPV,' says the champion without hesitation. The pride is ours, Ricardo, to share them with you. Do not doubt that.

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