Help Me Become Colombia’s First Ice Speed Skating Champion

Hi there! My name is Juan Carlos Candia Acosta.

I’m 17 years old, I’m from Fusagasugá, Colombia, and I’ve been an inline speed skater since I was seven.

I grew up skating on wheels, training on the streets and tracks of Colombia where ice rinks don’t exist. Yet, I’ve always had a dream that many people thought was crazy: to become an ice speed skater and compete at the highest level. To chase that dream. I left my family, my city, and my country, and moved alone to Salt Lake City, Utah, to train on ice. This has been such a challenge for me, but I truly believe dreams are worth the sacrifice and one day I’ll achieve what I am putting all my efforts on.

Ice speed skating is a very expensive sport; suits, professional blades, time on ice rinks, coaching, travel, and daily living costs add up fast. Moreover, our currency the Colombian peso is much weaker than the dollar or the euro, making everything just harder.

I’ve trained with borrowed suits and with blades that aren’t ideal, but I’ve never let that stop me from giving my best every day.

Finally, all the hard work has started to pay off. I’ve had great results in the last competitions and time trials in junior category and now I’m about to live a dream I never thought would come so soon:

This isn’t just another competition for me.

It’s my chance to show that where you come from doesn’t define how far you can reach, that a kid from a tropical country can dream big and compete on the ice with the best in the world.

Today, I’m asking for your help. Your support for this campaign will go towards:

• Proper skating suits and professional blades

• Training and ice rink expenses

• Expenses for the following competitions that will help me become the world champion on ice

Any donation, could help me get closer to the Olympic dream where I may finally wave my beloved Colombian Flag. And if you can’t donate, sharing my story means more than you would ever know

Thank you for believing in me.