By
Ricardo Ten (Valencia, 1975) had to learn the meaning of the word resilience at a very young age. An accident taught him to reinvent himself and, since then, he has not stopped doing it. He won three golds, one silver and three bronzes in five Paralympic Games as a swimmer, but he lost the illusion, the motivation, the desire. It was cycling that helped him recover that sparkle in his eyes and win a bronze in Tokyo. After an outstanding year and before going in search of his seventh Games, the athlete collected the AS Paralympic Award.
—What is your balance of the year?
—This 2022 has been fantastic. I keep evolving. This was my fifth season as a cyclist and I am very happy because the results have been incredible. I managed to be European champion (on the road) and the rainbow jersey both on the road and on the track. It’s been a tough thing to get over.
—How do you remember that triumph in the Baie-Comeau (Canada) Road World Championship?
—We prepared that appointment with care. We did a concentration in Sierra Nevada for almost a month to train at altitude. I focused on time trial, but it was a shame because I had a puncture during the test. I was able to make up for it on the road.
—And at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome (France) he confirmed his other world reign… The one on the track!
“I’m very good at reading the races, seeing what the good breakaway is…”
-Yes. And that, three weeks before, I had a drop in concentration in Valencia. I did quite a bit of damage to my shoulder. At first I thought the season was over, but as the days went by I started to recover. I got to the World Cup and won three golds, one silver, a world record… Although Russia and China were not there, where I have direct rivals who were ahead of me at the Tokyo Games. I enjoyed it very much.
—This has not been his first ‘double’ in the World Cup…
—I also did it in 2019. I had a fantastic season, which I thought I could not overcome and we have managed to improve those results.
—Where are you more comfortable: road or track?
“I’ve been evolving. When I changed disciplines, I felt more comfortable on the track. It resembled swimming. They are intense efforts, but brief and do series fighting against the clock. Over time I have adapted to road tests. I am very good at reading the races, seeing what the best breakaway is… I enjoy this tactical component since, in cycling, the strongest does not always win, but the most skilful.
“The mental is important…
—Swimming has given me that mental strength. You are in a closed environment, which does not allow you to communicate, always seeing the same line on the ground… And that helped me later for cycling.
—Did you imagine reaching this performance on the bike?
“Swimming gave me mental strength that helped me in cycling”
-No way! Not much less! Cycling was not unknown to me. Before practicing swimming, I already went out with my friends by bike. In Valencia it was my means of transportation to go train at the pool. In preseason I did triathlons… When I decided to hang up my swimsuit, I was uncertain about where my level would be in cycling. My surprise was great because he was very good and I adapted immediately.
—He left swimming because he lost the illusion after winning everything.
It was a mix of everything. It is increasingly difficult for you to continue achieving results, the motivation is not the same… The ambition is low and the young people have been pushing a lot. The bike was my incentive. I felt competitive and got that twinkle back in my eye. I enjoyed again.
—The ones in Tokyo were your sixth Games, but the first in cycling. How did he experience them, being also a flag bearer?
—The experience in these great events goes a long way. The first time you compete in a Games, if you’re not mentally prepared, it can overwhelm you. That aspect was under control. The pity was not having been able to finish off with a medal at the individual level since we did get it (bronze) in teams. My colleagues insisted that I had done it… but experience told me that in the Games there are always things that are out of the ordinary. There we found out that they put an athlete who in C2 had remarkable results in my category. It was bad luck.
—If going to Paris 2024 would be his seventh Games at the age of 49.
-It would be incredible! Going out to win is not going to be, but I am also aware that age is a handicap. Let’s go step by step. As long as I still feel competitive, I’ll continue.
—Are you considering that they could already be the last ones?
“Of course, I am well aware. What happens is that in the Paralympic world, in the lower categories, like mine, we prolong our competitive age. These are very severe disabilities and it is more difficult for powerful people to come out. Let’s take advantage of it.
RFECycling
—Tell me about Glasgow 2023.
—It is something very special for Paralympic sport. A multidisciplinary cycling World Cup has been organized from August 3 to 13. The adapted cycling tests will be integrated into the conventional cycling programme. You can imagine what it means for us to compete with cyclists you admire in the velodrome… It will be very nice.
—How have you seen the evolution of Paralympic sport since its beginnings in the 90s?
—I debuted with the national team, internationally, in 1995. Things have changed. Before it was an amateur sport and we only had the support of our environment. Now if you do not dedicate yourself to this exclusively it is impossible to obtain results. Furthermore, we are on the path of full integration. That can encourage more people with disabilities to play sports. It is a beastly integration tool because sport is not just competition. It is playful, social…
—At the age of 8, he was electrocuted and his life changed…
“Sport is not only competition, it is also integration and it has given me everything”
—After the accident it was a very big drama for my family. There is no other choice but to adapt to your new situation and I have always been lucky enough to feel very protected by my environment. Sport was an important tool for me to feel like one more, which was what I was looking for with my classmates, my friends… If they played something, I also tried it and I was good at it. When I discovered that I could compete, I did not hesitate. Sport has given me everything. That dramatic and terrible moment has made me the person I am, it has given me the opportunity to see the world…
—Has the perception of disability evolved?
-Much. It has nothing to do with the old one. Nowadays, Paralympic athletes are seen more as athletes than as people with disabilities who practice sports. That’s a big step. Thanks to the internet we have more visibility and people see that you are a different person, but you lead a normal life like them. You have the same problems.
—When he started he had to work as an accountant, now he lives from sports and is a coach. What message does it convey?
—I share my experiences and the values that I have acquired through sport. It is about teaching people that life is not a path of roses, that there are obstacles, but that with a positive attitude we can enjoy it very much. If we have been able, so have they.
-The resilience…
-That’s it. You must take advantage of those difficult moments to reinvent yourself.
“He’s a footballer, right?”
-Of course! (laughs). I am from Levante and we are trying to go up to First Division. I feel very identified with the club. It has had a hard time, it was about to disappear, but through effort it has become an exemplary entity. He doesn’t win titles, but he does enormous things, giving everyone the opportunity to practice sports, whatever their condition. The fans always show me their love. For this reason, I share my successes with her in the Ciutat.