17 Sep David Solano (27 years old)

WHEN AN ACCIDENT OCCURS, THE FAMILY AND NOT GIVING UP IS CRUCIAL ✳️ From Lima, Peru, this twenty-seven-year-old Shotokan Coach tells us that he started in Karate since he was sixteen at the Jimmy Moreno Karate Academy with Sensei Jimmy , current coach of the National Kata Team of Peru who taught him the art of Karate, training him with discipline, values ​​and obtaining the degree of belt 3kyu (brown belt).

PRESELECTED FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM OF PERÚ

I participated in the National championship having the opportunity to belong to the National Karate pre-selection in my country in 2014-2015, in addition to being part of the Federico Villareal University Selection in 2016 -2019, participating in the FEDUP University Games obtaining a good result for the university. Some time later I belonged to the Osenshi Dojo, with Sensei Roberto Reyna, Kumite coach and trainer of many high-performance Peruvian athletes, where I learned a lot technically and psychologically, achieving good results in Kumite competitions and aspiring to belong to the national team, where I was in the process of achieving it and that I currently still have in mind to do it.

David Solano, Shortlisted National Team Perú

YOUR FAMILY, YOUR GREAT MOTIVATION

I am proud to belong to a very united family and both my father and my mother have always been a great support and have never been overcome by difficulties. I am the son of Ángel Solano and Fanny Tiparra, my great motivation and respect for them. At the same time, my sister Gianella is always with me in the most difficult moments just like my parents. My family is so large, I would like to mention all of them because they know the great affection and affection I have for them.

THE DESTINY, MY ACCIDENT

A part of me at that moment was in shock because I had the worst accident of my life. It was a Friday, December 6, 2019 and I was going in the morning to the Callao sports center, to do my final gymnastics exam within the Physical Education career at the University. That same day, I also had a final swimming exam, but I decided on gymnastics because I was missing a grade. It would have been a different story if I had shown up for swimming because I would not have had the accident.

Everything happened when I did the somersault on the mat, from so many repetitions that I did, I felt that I got that jump better for the grade I wanted, but on the last attempt, when everyone was leaving and the teacher was left with some classmates, I jumped badly and I fell ill because the whole weight of my neck was rattling on the mat.

I COULDN’T MOVE

At that moment I couldn’t move, my neck hurt a lot and I screamed loudly with “help me”. Most of my classmates ran when they saw me next to the teacher, trying to help me move but I couldn’t. It was such an intense pain that I had to crawl and get up alone, little by little, while grabbing my neck to be able to sit in a wheelchair that the sports hall provided. They all looked at me and said: – David are you okay? -, – Can you walk?

At that time, I called my mother, she works in the Rebagliati hospital in the administrative part, with whom I had argued just days before about some differences. My mother answered the call and I told her that I was very bad, she was upset for the previous days and cut me off. At that moment I felt bad and alone, they had to take me to the hospital, my colleague Danuska offered to take me and when we got to the hospital emergency room they did many tests: X-ray, CT … and meanwhile I was sitting in a collar. a corner watching many people as they entered the ER.

David Solano shows his Karate medals

NECK FRACTURE

At that time I only had seventy soles (about seventeen euros), from my work as a monitor in a karate academy, I put what I had and the rest was put by the university professors. After the exams, the neurosurgeon doctor gave me the news that I had fractured my neck due to posterior and anterior C5-C6. It fell to my heart, I started to cry and felt all my dreams collapse.

I am not sure if I was going through the best moment of my life but I was doing quite well in everything before the accident and I was preparing myself physically, mentally and technically in Karate to be able to reach the Peruvian Karate Team but everything fell apart, no He stopped crying and a doctor approached me, said – “You will be fine, calm down” – while I repeated that I would no longer do sports …

EMERGENCY OPERATION TO AVOID PARAPLEJIA

Danuska, my friend, hugged me telling me a medical story of hers that was similar but not as strong as mine with the good intention of calming me down and motivating me. My mind began to spin many times remembering the whole process of my life, of mistakes that I made at some point and it was just that moment when I picked up my mobile phone and called my mother again because they suggested that a relative be present at the operation that they had to make me fast so as not to be quadriplegic or paralyzed.

My mother finally found out about everything that happened from my classmates and teachers, she went to the hospital where I was, saw me and we cried when she found out about my accident. That day they admitted me, I went to the eighth floor, to the neurosurgery area, I was in the dorsal ulna with the collar without moving on the medical bed, I only moved my legs and arms, during all that process they were very difficult moments, I could not do anything myself They had to feed me, change me, the drugs were very strong by vein.

I DID NOT HAVE MONEY FOR THE OPERATION

Everything I had to live was very frustrating and painful because in addition to the pain, there was no money for the surgery and I had to ask for support from friends and family. The operation was expensive, not even the Villareal University helped me, but in the end it was achieved after eleven days of hard work from all my friends. So on the seventeenth of December I was in the operating room and after eight hours everything came out successfully. My friends and family were very happy and I wanted to leave the hospital thinking about my sports goals and making my life normal.

The doctors were very direct and told me that I would not train again, which was very painful and marked me a lot. I was suffering internally, I argued with myself, I hated the doctor for telling me that … but it took six days for me to be discharged and just on December 23 I was able to leave to spend Christmas at home although a little different but with family, like forever.

THE DOCTORS TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NOT TRAIN AGAIN

David Solano, karate player of Perú

I had to wait fifteen days for the stitches to be removed and during the days at home I felt better because I was with my parents and my sister as a family. The scar from the operation had become infected, without explanation because I took great care of it, but on Friday, January 3, my bed was full of blood and I was very scared. My mother took me to the hospital to be cleaned and in the end they admitted me again, I returned to that eighth floor of Neurosurgery spending eight more days, until Friday, January 10. At that time I had a surgical cure, the last option for the healing to close in a better way. All this together with strong medications during those days and immense pains, the days passed until on January twenty-first I can go home, with the recommended care so that the wound healed completely. In the end, they removed the stitches and there I have the mark of my operation that I proudly carry because it is part of me. My accident is part of my story.

NEW LIFE PROJECT

This is something very special for me because I decided that despite the adversities I would be victorious and I am achieving it little by little. Eight months have passed since the accident, I feel very well mentally and spiritually and at no time did I lose mobility of my arms and legs, thank God. Soon I will start physical therapy and I want to tell you that during all that process that I had to live, I began to investigate my injury and see many stories with which I identify myself and I have had the opportunity to speak with all those people and with many
more that I am currently knowing.

Despite the difficult moments, all those people, went ahead and returned to their own or others discovered a new potential that they never imagined having and that is impressive as well as valuable for each one. I am currently doing a Motivational Life Stories project and everything is posted on my Instagram @ david.solano.oficial

I want to thank everyone for the support, those who were always with me, my family, friends and people from all over the world because I carry them in my heart and I will always be there for you. Never give up despite the situations that arise, I continue with that dream of achieving my goals and I will achieve it.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this opportunity to tell my story.

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