February 16, 2019
Omar Iglesias Medina is a name you need to know. Originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, Omar currently calls New York City home. Omar’s day job is a full-time consultant role in the Capital Markets Practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Sounds fancy, right? But Omar also pushes past barriers as a competitive adaptive participant.
Omar sustained multiple injuries during his time in the Navy. Those injuries affect the left side of his body from his head to his toes. Though, Omar admits his more recognizable disabilities are things that he was born with: a shorter left lower leg with his foot turned slightly inward (a.k.a. club foot). That left foot also does not have an Achilles’ tendon. Some may view these as weaknesses, but to Omar, they are opportunities to overcome challenges.
To keep himself healthy, Omar competes as an adaptive participant. He even completed an ultra marathon—a 33-mile race! Being more aware of his foot now, Omar’s not running as much. He admits that he misses it. Omar instead focuses his time and energy into adaptive participant competitions. Beyond the physical motivation, Omar believes these competitions raise awareness about club foot and other disabilities. He wants others to know that adaptive participants have a platform and can be highly competitive.
In an ideal world, Omar would dedicate more time to family and himself and hopefully travel more too. Despite his busy schedule, he’s a very service-minded individual who strives to be a good listener and supportive friend. For all those needing some inspiration, Omar says, “Our disabilities only set us back if we let them. We control our own fate!” He confesses that we are always our own worst critic and reminds us that our supportive crew is cheering us on through life, even if it’s just one step at a time.
