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With a big supply bag on his again Venezuelan Olympic champion fencer Ruben Limardo is out biking round his adopted hometown in Poland, making ends meet in an odd however heartwarming story from this time of pandemic. The 35-year-old London Olympics foil gold medallist will go for glory once more on the Tokyo Olympics subsequent yr, however surprised his followers final week when he made a tweet revealing the character of his new job. “You have to earn your way and this is a job like any other,” he instructed AFP as he went a couple of typical day of coaching and making meals deliveries for Uber Eats.
And he’s not the one one — 20 different members of Venezuela’s nationwide fencing workforce reside the identical inconceivable existence within the city of Lodz in Poland.
“We are all delivery riders,” stated Limardo, talking in fluent Polish.
He gained his Olympic title eight years in the past — the primary fencer from Latin America to take action since Cuba’s Ramon Fonst in 1904.
He additionally turned solely the second Venezuelan gold medallist, 44 years after boxer Francisco Rodriguez.
“Pandemic turned everything around”
Five mornings per week, the younger Venezuelan fencers collect in a former workshop on a largely deserted industrial website in Lodz to cross swords.
Their white uniforms conflict with the yellow, blue and crimson of their nationwide flag which dominate the decor.
At the doorway, a pile of bikes and inexperienced cool-bags await the stroke of 1:00pm when every of the fencers end their coaching, has a fast bathe after which units off for deliveries within the chill of a Polish autumn.
“We get very little money from Venezuela because of the crisis there. And the pandemic has turned everything around. There are no competitions, the Tokyo Olympics were delayed for a year and the sponsors are saying they will start paying again in the new year.
“That’s why now we have to earn money on the highway,” said Limardo, who does around 50 kilometres (31 miles) per day on his bike, earning around 100 euros a week.
“It works nicely with our coaching. We might even say it’s an extension of the coaching,” said the married father of two.
“It permits us to reside, end our research. We assist one another out with coaching, paying rents. Everyone works to finance the others within the group,” he said.
“The dream remains to be there”
Ruben Limardo has lived in Poland for 19 years.
He was encouraged to move there by an uncle who wanted to create a centre for Venezuelan fencers in this economically thriving country with relatively low overheads compared to western Europe.
Since moving to Poland, he has created a foundation for Venezuelan fencers as well as a club for taking part in local tournaments and a fencing school for children.
The pandemic has created difficulties but the school is continuing to operate, with the Venezuelan fencers taking it in turns to give lessons.
Promoted
“But above all we’re coaching to renew competitors at any second. The dream remains to be there,” Limardo said.
“Every time I make a supply I inform myself that it’ll assist me win the medal I need at Tokyo in 2021.”
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