Daydreaming

86 kilometers from Bogota, nestled between mountains and near the Páramo de Guacheneque, is Villapinzón, one of the municipalities of Cundinamarca where more than 16,000 people live. There we traveled with 14 OCHOMILES in a new day of cycling equipment donations.

The cycling training school of the municipality, founded 19 years ago and in which they work for development of this sport in the region, was chosen. We met with humble and grateful families, and with excited young cyclists to receive garments and accessories kits that hundreds of people send us in the last FUN Box campaign.

As soon as we arrived at the velodrome, the meeting place and where the school works, Duván Felipe Gil was spinning warming up and having fun. He was the first one to arrive. He was wearing the official uniform and his helmet. His look, innocent and brilliant of goodness, was a magnet. He ride, avoiding the cold and fog of the morning, with blue convers tennis worn out by use.

Little by little the rest of the members of the school were arriving, many of them with their moms, their brothers, their parents.

Behind the scenes we asked the boy the size of shoes, and we looked in the material for a cycling shoes of that size. After welcome words, we began to distribute the kits among the girls and boys. It was exciting!!

Duván Felipe, 12, opening his pack and seeing his own cycling shoes, smiled so much that the sun rose. «It feels nice to use a pair of slippers for the first time”, he said happily and jumping around to wake up from a dream. «I am part of this wonderful team that has been very supportive. With this cycle, in the future, I want to know many places, far away, and meet many people. Thanks to Esteban Chaves Foundation and 14 OCHOMILES for this gift».

Bernardo Pedraza is the cycling school coach and monitor: «We want to thank the Foundation and 14 OCHOMILES for this gesture. These supporters you sent us needed us. They motivate us enough to follow the formation processes and continue guiding these young people through sport in life.

Giving is giving

Daniela Pinto Montaño, 11, is part of the cycling school. She likes to ride a bike since she was a little girl. It has been her favorite toy. «The clothes and sweaters they gave us are very nice. I really liked everything. Thanks to those who were part of FUN Box», she expresses.

Jairo Chaves, general director of FUN Esteban Chaves: «With these gifts we want to motivate you. Sport is a way of life. Whether professional or not, it teaches us to be disciplined, gives us health, friends, organization and the possibility of changing our lives. Two examples of this are Nicolás Gómez and Manuel Contreras».

Roots

One of the most powerful messages that this day left us, in the figure of Nico Gómez and Manuel Contreras, born in Villapinzón and trained in this cycling school, is to never forgetting the roots and the place where everyone grew up.

Since January both are part of U18 FUN Esteban Chaves squad. They are a faithful reflection that, if you believe in them and pursue them with dedication and effort, dreams come true. Cycling has thus become an engine for growing closer and closer to what you long for.

For Nicolás Gómez, 17, the donation was a very special moment: «I am very proud to have belonged to this school where I trained and spent so many years. It is priceless to see the faces of the boys when they receive a uniform, slippers, gloves». Through FUN Box we work to contribute to the work of clubs, academies and entities in different places in Colombia that we know need support and support to promote the practice of cycling among youth.

Small actions count and make a difference. What they produced in Duván Felipe, a sweater in Daniela or a uniform in Jaider, implements so simple and so important at the same time, manage to transform realities and make us all smile and rekindle hope.