Double leg amputee Pedro Rangel Haro is back at it.
This time in France, the 44-year-old from Guadalajara will not be landing on the French coast like he did at the end of his 15 hour 48 minute crossing of the English Channel in 2018, but instead will be competing in the pool at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games – his fifth time to represent his native country of Mexico.
In 2014, he swam from England to France as part of a group of para swimmers called the Honu Para Swim Team. He recalled, “It was always my dream to swim the Channel. I had an idea of what it was about. Now I realize the magnitude. It was hard, but it’s so rewarding.”
Marianne Wieland de Alvarez, the coach and manager of the Honu Para Swim Team talks of the Mexican Marathon Man. “Pedro is an impressive and courageous para swimmer with an amazing history of achievements. In 2018, he became the first double leg amputee to complete a solo crossing of the English Channel.
Pedro has also proven himself in the pool by participating in four Paralympic Games, each time achieving a podium position in the 100m breaststroke in the SB5 category [the first at the 2004 Athens Olympics].
Before his solo attempt, Pedro prepared himself by participating in English Channel relays comprised of solely disabled swimmers on three separate times from 2014. One disabled team relay in 2016 was faster than all other six-man able-bodied relays that year. He is a remarkable young man who have a deep physical and mental determination to achieve his 30-year dream of swimming across the English Channel.
He represents a positive image of perseverance who inspires countless others to never give up and overcome all limits. Before dreaming of his crossing, Pedro first dreamed of climbing Mount Everest as a young child. When he was 8 years old, he suffered a terrible accident while playing on a moving train. He lost both his legs. When he told his father that his dream of climbing Mount Everest was over, his father insisted that there was an even greater challenge.
That was the first time that Pedro heard of the English Channel.
Years later, he learned to swim and was introduced to Paralympic swimming [his classification category is S7-SB5-SM6]. Rangel won a bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, a bronze medal in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, and a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. He is nicknamed ‘The Legend Rangel‘ and ‘The Zorro of Paralympic Swimming‘. His English Channel crossing led to a third nickname, ‘The Channel Crossing of El Zorro‘.
It is an immense honor to coach Pedro and be part of his triumphs and realization of his dreams.”
For more information about Rangel’s English Channel crossing, visit here.
For more information about the Honu Para Swim Society, visit www.honuswim.com and watch one of their incredible stories below:
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El día que llegó a Atenas para competir en los juegos Paralímpicos por vez primera, estaba rankeado como octavo del mundo pero esa mañana de eliminatoria calificó a la gran final como séptimo entre un gran grupo de contrincantes.Para muchos un séptimo lugar justificaba su participación; pero en la tarde conquistó el podio colgándose la medalla de bronce en su primera incursión a los Juegos Paralímpicos Atenas 2004.
It’s an honour to know Pedro. His achievements are many, but he is humble. I look forward to cheering him on in Paris at 2024 Paralympics.