Page 45 - MIN VOS

A16 LOCAL
Thursday 23 March 2017
Aruba International
Half Marathon

Continued from Page 13
He stayed very positive and
influencing other people
to start running and other
sports to live a healthy life-
style.
Betto’s family plays a big
role in his daily workout and
training. He and his son who
is a duathlon champion of
the Pan American Games
worked on a design of an
extended iron bar on a bi-
cycle. Betto would be able
hold on to that while run-
ning as during the training
period that Betto adapted
to running without sight he
was running too fast and
he run past the guide. With
the first design Betto en-
countered problems with
breathing. With that in

Shardea Croes and the day will be possible in Aru-
Paralympic world record ba. For now, these two ath-
holder 100m and 200m letes Shahrzad Kiavash and
Marlou van Rhijn, he had Albertino “Betto” Maduro
the opportunity to join the are joined by Paula Boy-
Aruba Paralympic team in er to complete the Relay
the Pan American Games team and just as their non-
held in Toronto, Canada disabled counterparts, the
where Betto placed for the athletic ability and tena-
200meter on the 9thplace cious commitment of each
and on the 100 meter on and every one of these
the 10th place. athletes serves as an inspi-
Nowadays Betto and his ration to their friends, their
family are very active in lo- families, and to the other
cal race events and train- participants of the 32nd
ing “The Malmok Runners” Aruba International Half
a group that is formed by Marathon. Although each
60 adults and about 40 chil- faces some form of physi-
dren. He still has the dream cal limitation, these ath-
and drive to ride the bi- letes accept no limits on
cycle which hopefully one what they can achieve.”q

mind a second design was
made, which is the current
one where Betto is able to
switch arms while running.
By that being said during
many local race events
Betto has competed in his
category with his ability,
which is called by other
people disability, and has
won numerous times.
About 13 years ago Betto
had the opportunity and
the help of Cetty Baarhof
FAVI (foundation for visu-
ally disabled) to be tested
in the Netherlands to par-
ticipate in the Paralym-
pics. After testing the com-
mittee informed him that
there was no component
to compete in the 100 me-
ter and 200 meter But Betto
did not give up.
In 2015 with the help of
various people such as