The obstacles along the way are for... the bike to swerve. That is the easy-going spirit of Levi Geia Picca, Physical Education professor, who has the habit of venturing on mountain biking tours through the countryside of São Paulo. In one of the “My Paralympic picture” cultural contest winning photos, he rides his bike at Aparecida, the city of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady.

At Pindamonhangaba, his hometown, Levi works at a gym centre. He started his relation with the sport a long time ago, long before the motorcycle accident that has required him to have part of his right leg removed, four years ago.

“I used to practice Swimming and Mountain Bike. I used to work out as well. I have bachelor degree in Physical Education, so the sport has always been in my life. Today, I like to gather my friends and, at the weekends, I like to go to different places to make mountain biking tours. I have a friend who is a photographer. We knew about the contest and we decided to go to Aparecida to take some photos. It is a symbolic location of Brazil”, says Levi, 26 years old, who used a prosthesis on his leg.

As a fan of sport, the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games are already on his mind. In 2016, he intends to be at Rio as a spectator, and he makes a point of attending to the Opening Ceremony: “I am already making plans of going to Rio in 2016 with my friends. We will definitely be there”.

About the photo

Although there are competitions and qualifying stages, we can never compare the individual difficulties. What really matters is our effort to get where we got. Because the true winners are the ones who compete with themselves and never accept being defeated!

Levi Geia Picca