After being 20 years without winning a Parapan American medal, El Salvador broke its drought with the great performance of one of its best Paralympic athletes: Herbert Aceituno.
Although Lima 2019 were his first Parapan American Games, the Para Powerlifter conquered the test in the -65Kg category after lifting 182 Kg., which was also a new Parapan American record. This performance and its significance for El Salvador, led him to be elected the Best Parapan American Athlete of Lima 2019.
Today, at the age of 35, he is preparing for the 2021 competitions, where he will have to stay among the 8 best Para Powerlifters in the world (currently ranked No. 5) to secure a place in what could be his second Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020.
Once this stage is completed, Herbert Aceituno seeks to fully prepare for Santiago 2023, where he will seek to demonstrate again that "disability is in the mind and not in the body."
Expectations are high and I want to be at the Parapan American Games again. I really liked the Lima 2019 experience. Despite the fact El Salvador did not do well in the Medal Count, we were able to obtain my gold. For me, it was an honor to be able to represent the Salvadoran people and I hope to be able to repeat that moment. After the Tokyo Games, I will be working for Santiago 2023.
Each host country seeks to improve the previous edition. For example, when I was in the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, another Para athlete told me that the Games had improved a lot, so that always tends to happen with future editions. Chile is a beautiful and fighting country, so I am confident that Santiago 2023 will be an unforgettable event due to its preparation, dedication and commitment to the Paralympic movement. That is appreciated. Without a doubt, it will be a beautiful and unforgettable party. I think Santiago is going to give everything because they have all the dedication, the desire and the desire to make a great event. Of course, the facilities must be up to standard and must be adequate, without any type of limitations for users.
I want to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The planning is going well, we have about 6 competitions within the objectives, and they are very important to achieve qualification for Tokyo. I hope to be able to participate in all of them, since sometimes it becomes uncertain with the pandemic, but anyway we try to stay within the top 8 in the world, and God willing, get medals.
