The pandemic prevented him from practicing, so his family made him a pool with their own hands, out of cans, wood and plastic. His efforts made the news and now he couldn’t be any happier. There was nothing that could wipe that smile off his face!
Life has its ups and downs. One day, you’re at home, constantly hearing about the coronavirus on TV, locked up and watching your future slip away. This was what Sebastian’s life was like, the swimmer with impaired hearing who we reported on a few weeks ago. His humility made headlines in Argentina because of his resilience, effort and incredible parents. They were willing to do anything for their son.
He hadn’t moved in the water for months, causing him to slowly lose his experience and skill. Marta, his mother, realized this and proposed the idea of building a swimming pool at home, which Edmundo, his father, took care of constructing with cans, wood and plastic.
Now, because his story has gone viral, a company decided to give him a giant pool. Now, he can train without any inconvenience. Smile, Sebas!
“Happy ending!”, read newspaper headlines across Argentina after Sebastián Galleguillo received his gift. The Paralympic athlete went from having no way to train to building a handmade swimming pool with his parents.
The conditions weren’t right for him to practice at his highest level, but he didn’t care. He was grateful for his parents’ efforts, who even put ovens with fire at the sides of the pool to heat up its water.
The 18-year-old from Buenos Aires proudly shows off his family’s creation through his Instagram account, where he’s now posted about his latest joy.
The company, Placer Urbano, specifically its owner, also called Sebastian (Oviedo), was moved by the story and thought: “We have to help this kid.”
Ever since he was a child, he was interested in swimming and, years later, he began to practice the sport. As he’s said countless times, he felt happy in the water. He won several competitions and now he’s preparing for the Deaflympics.
Excitement. That’s what invaded the whole family when they heard about the generous gift that Sebastian Oviedo had given them. There was no lack of tears, mixed with happiness and nostalgia.
When social media is used for good, it’s a magnificent tool.
The new pool is 12 meters long, 3.4 meters wide and 1.6 meters deep.
“It’s whiter than the white shoes I never had. I honestly didn’t expect it. It’s amazing. I mean, it’s huge!”, commented Sebas when they left the pool at his house.
A smile seemed to be permanently stuck on his face.
He touched it all over and looked at it in detail, with happiness on his face. He walked in it barefoot and took pictures. He even took a shovel and started digging to install it.
“When we took it down, we had an emotion, an energy. It’s like a glow. It filled me with light and energy. It made me want to keep doing what I’m doing. Since it helped me, I hope that my friends can use it.”
Sebastian told Infobae.
The other Sebastian, the owner of the company and responsible for this kind gesture, couldn’t hide his emotions either.
“Sebastian’s story touched my heart. It broke my heart. The truth is that when I saw the article, it touched me so much that I didn’t hesitate. I started crying and said, ‘we have to help this kid.’
This pool isn’t just something he’ll enjoy, he’s humbly decided to invite his companions.”
Sebastian Oviedo told Infobae.
Smile, Seba and Mom!
Your humility and hard work have been rewarded, this time by a generous man who was moved by your inspiring story.