Luis, 9 years old, had always been struggling to interact with other kids since he was 7. Most of his free time was spent playing video games. Luis did not have any interest in sports and did not have any basic knowledge about nutrition and health. He got used to a sedentary lifestyle, and that was normal for him. He neither developed communication skills nor social skills.
When he was 12 years old, he started to gain weight and had mobility difficulties. He realized he had to do something but he didn’t have much willpower or internal drive, so the chances to make a change on his own were limited.
But everything changed when he turned 13. He was introduced to Daniel, a local sportsman, and without knowing it, his life changed for the better.
Since that day, he started to follow Daniel’s achievements and soon he started practicing what Daniel had encouraged him to practice, such as developing routines and acting with discipline. He became like a big brother, someone to talk to, and someone with whom to share experiences. It was hard at the beginning to start exercising for Luis, but soon he began to feel a positive difference.
He opened himself to other kids and he decided to join a handball team. He wasn´t very talented but with his positive attitude, Luis made progress overcoming many obstacles.
Luis felt like a winner just being a part of the team: that was his goal.
After the first season on the team, he explained to Daniel how important he was in his decision to change his lifestyle, and how he was always there as a role model to help him overcome the complicated situations.
Luis still plays video games, but he mixes it with other hobbies. Luis continues to feel more confident in himself.
Daniel was his connection with sport and his chance to be active again.