Luis Armando Andrade Guillen

Personal

Luis Armando Andrade Guillen is a Mexican athlete who was born on March 10, 1995 in Baja California Sur, México.

Since he was a child, his parents instilled to him and his brothers the love to the swimming. When Armando had one year, he could swim and float by himself in the sea. When Armando was 6 years old he lost his arm in a car accident and despite the difficulties, he returned to swimming as therapy. In that time was when swimming turned into a passion and a hobby that entertained him and he really liked. Thanks to his perseverance, Armando got the opportunity to compete in the Paralympics.

Accident

José Carlos, the older brother of Luis Armando, played football on a team and on one occasion he had to travel to San José del Cabo to play a game. The coaches did the invitation for families to accompany their children to the game. In that occasion Armando´s mother, Bertha, could not attend with her family. The coaches rent a truck of the state for the trip. Everything was alright but on the way back home there was an accident where the driver lost the control of the truck and it turned. Juan Manuel, Armando´s father, was worried about his children, who were injured because of the accident. Armando was trapped under the truck and his father did his best to save him. When Armando was with his family, his father saw that Armando´s arm was destroyed.

Armando was in intensive care and then was treated by the doctor Martin Abaroa in an operation. The doctor said that with the operation he can only save Armando´s shoulder and a small stump which can help him to use the prosthesis. The operation lasted 72 hours.

Legal and economic issues

After that Armando was discharged by the doctor, his parents received the bill that the family had to pay. They were concerned about this because they did not have economic resources for this. Juan Manuel and Bertha tried to save money and also received support from the parents of some children that were friends of their sons, however it was enough.

Desperate, the parents of Armando met with the secretary of the government of Baja California Sur, Víctor Guluarte Castro. They said to Victor that the state should assume the payment of medical expenses. Armando´s parents explained that the driver was working for the state and that the truck was property of the state. There was no support from the government, and then Armando's mother decided to sue the state and seek the attorney Rafael Ortega Cruz, who agreed to help the family at no cost.

In November 2001, Bertha was threatened with death for having made the demand against the state government. After 10 years of litigation, the local judge ordered the state government to pay damages.

Career

After Armando underwent surgery, the doctor suggested practicing swimming as therapy to strengthen the stump. Armando and his twin brother, when were nine years old, came to a public swimming pool and there they met the coach Francisco Guillen Patino, who saw potential in the children to compete.

First Appearances

One of his first appearances was in 2006 at the State Olympiad where he competed against conventional swimmers. His performance opened the door for the National Olympiad 2007 in Puebla, where the child of 11 years won three gold medals in the competition.

For problems with the coach, the young athlete did not compete in 2008, but a year later returned to the National Olympiad in Sonora. The parents of Armando sold items for be with him at that competition because the money that they earned was not enough for the expenses.

In that competition Armando became part of the national team of Mexico. Coach Fernando Vélez was fascinated by his swimming style and immediately summoned to the Parapan Youth Games in Bogotá, Colombia, where he won five golds and a bronze. In 2010 he participated in the World Championships in the Netherlands, and in 2011 was declared as the best swimmer in the Parapan.

Career support

Despite his success, Armando, has been ignored by the state government as the Instituto SudCaliforniano del Deporte (insude), which only gives him a monthly support of 400 pesos and allows him to train for free at the pool at the Multipurpose Gymnasium.

To attend Parapan American Games, the family had to borrow to pay for transportation, lodging, meals and tickets to the competitions, because the organizers only give them tickets for a proof.

Competition

He participated in Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games with 16 years old and as a representative of Mexico. In that event, Armando won eight medals: four gold, three silvers and one bronze.

The young athlete won gold medals in several proofs where in all he implanted Pan American records:

The three silver medals that he won were in 100 meter breaststroke individually, as a member of the relay 4x100 meter freestyle and 4×50 meter freestyle, while the bronze medal was won in the proof of 4×100 meter medley relay.

Achievements

Nominated for the FaceNews Youth Leadership Award

Luis Armando Andrade received on January 13, 2016 the FacesNews Award nomination, which provides a magazine, for its Youth Leadership.

In response Armando Andrade said: "It is something very important and an honor, is what I want, that the generations of today consider me a leader and a role model, for that I work: to serve as motivation and show that when you have perseverance you can accomplish many things", said the swimmer of S8 category and a native of Baja California Sur.