“I want to inspire all athletes with Down syndrome”: the story of Jacinta Martínez Ranceze became a book

Jacinta Martínez Ranceze is multiple champion in artistic swimming and one of the top sports benchmarks for athletes with Down syndrome in Argentina. On Monday, March 21, as part of the International Day of People with Down Syndrome, “Trust Me” was presented, a book with the story of Jacinta that is part of “We Are Athletes”, the first collection of children's stories about adapted and Paralympic athletes in the country.

“I feel like I represent all athletes with Down syndrome, I love that. I want to inspire them, it's my dream,” said Jacinta at the CeNard presentation with the participation of Inés Arrondo, Secretary of Sports of the Nation; Fernando Galarraga, Executive Director of the National Disability Agency; Graciela Breques, president of the FADASC (Argentine Sports Federation for athletes with Down); Lorena Terza, the author; and Maximiliano Nobili, president of the Paradeportes Foundation. The director was led by journalist Laura Couto.

Jacinta's book is the fifth in the collection, which already has four other titles: “Rattlesnake Ball” (Silvio Velo, football for the blind), “Yanina's smile” (Yanina Martínez, athletics), “Gusa and I” (Daniela Giménez, swimming) and “A dreamy day” (Gabriel Copola — Mauro Depergola, tennis from table), which were presented at the Japanese Garden of Buenos Aires in the preview of the Tokyo Paralympic Games in July last year.

“Trust me” (like the entire collection) includes a QR code to read it in Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and audiobook so that deaf and blind people can also enjoy and learn about Jacinta's story. And there is a second QR to see the images of the main character's greatest sporting milestone.

The story was written by Lorena La Terza. The idea and direction of journalist was by Maximiliano Nobili, founder and president of the Paradeportes Foundation who, together with the independent publishing house Parápara Aparte, created this collection. Books are for sale only on the publisher's site.

“We are very grateful to Jacinta who joyfully and enthusiastically joined this unprecedented project in the publishing world. But Jacinta's book is not only hers, it is the book of all athletes with Down syndrome where everyone can feel represented in their story. The collection 'We are sports' fills us with pride. We generate a new way to bring sports and adapted and Paralympic athletes closer to the youngest ones so that they know their achievements and life stories. We like to create positive projects that are a bridge between parents and children and that also serve as inspiration,” said Maximiliano Nobili.

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