Alejo, a great among greats.
Alejandro Gaviria, a Terret athlete, will run this Saturday, September 18 with the Colombian flag on his back in the IronMan 70.3 World Championship.
Few dare to enter the world of triathlon to suffer three times. Of those few, not many are able to compete in the IronMan distances. Of these, a very small number are those who earn a place in the most important competitions in the world. Alejo is one of them, one of those who are going to the big leagues.
In 2019, he won his way into the event. In Cartagena, by finishing fourth in his category, he made his way to Utah (United States) as one of the chosen ones to compete in the World Championship in the 70.3 distance of the most famous triathlon competition in the world. Like a child who one day dreams of playing with his idols, Alejandro will run, side by side, with the greats, those who appear on television, those with Olympic medals, those he follows and admires through social networks. In the waters and roads of St. George, Gaviria will be at the gala wearing his tailcoat made of hours of training, sacrifices, discipline and a lot of heart.
And as the pandemic has crept into even the most hidden letters, it also left its mark on the history of this athlete and those who will be part of the orbital event that was initially going to take place in 2020. We still don't know if for better or worse, this event was going to be held in New Zealand, but the pandemic moved it from the calendar and location and placed it in the hot and desert Utah. There, Alejo's destinies will cross with none other than Kristian Blummenfelt, who arrives with the Olympic medal fresh off his feet. Gustav Iden, Sam Long, Daniel Baekkegard, among other "unstoppable" figures on the world scene, will also attend.
Our Alejandro, with the tricolor on his uniform, will show what he is made of and reap the rewards of months of preparation that led him to earn a place that few can reach, that place that is reserved for those who dare to dream, swim, pedal and run big.