2024 NATIONAL ATHLETE JULIAN MOLINA

WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THE NATIONAL ATHLETE ADVOCATE AMBASSADOR CAMPAIGN?

I think it is an opportunity to be able to address the Amputee Coalition community from the sporting side of BMX Freestyle in an inspiring way, carrying a message of personal improvement and a lot of love for what I do, I also think it is a form of leadership even that we are all leaders at some point in our lives and the role of ambassador is without a doubt an honor and one more reason to lead my sports career in a more responsible way and with clearer foundations.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE OTHER PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR JOURNEY?

I hope you understand that talent and hard work is the key to good personal support and this without a doubt teaches us that everyone is important and free to create their dreams. I want them to understand that dreaming is free and that in life hope is worth more than despair.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO BMX?

When I was 12 years old after my accident I was watching motorcycles flying in my town and then some video games where they played BMX and I told myself then that I was going to save up for my first bicycle and that’s when I started selling candy every Saturday and Sunday which were the days when I didn’t have to go to study and people from the countryside came to town to sell their products, so my town was like a kind of fair in those days, little by little I was collecting money and when I turned 13 I had the luxury of I opened the piggy bank and began to assemble my bicycle in parts, then I was lucky enough to get a bicycle frame that a friend was going to throw away because it was rusty. He only sold it to me for 1,000 Colombian pesos, which is currently 25 US cents. And that’s how little by little I started building my bike and I fell in love with this sport.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PATH YOU HAVE TAKEN TO BECOME A BMX PROFESSIONAL?

To become a professional, I have had to make sacrifices such as being away from my family, friends and loved ones, carrying them in my mind as the only thing I can take on each of my trips, which are certainly exciting, and I meet wonderful people. Along this path I have been able to learn the value of humility, responsibility, and being kind to people. Without a doubt this sport has given me more than what I have asked for.

WHAT ADAPTATIONS HAVE YOU MADE TO YOUR BICYCLE?

The only adaptation I have made to it is to make the crank 156mm long because that way it doesn’t crash in the floor when making tight turns on the bike.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WITH LIMB LOSS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BMX?

The advice I would give them would be that first you have to have a clear mind when you buy a bicycle since it requires a very nice responsibility, you almost fall in love with it, because you learn to see it not only as a vehicle to travel long distances but also as an object with which you can do tricks and fly with it, I think that we must be clear about that at the beginning and then have sanity for the next step. Discipline is very important because without it there is no intelligence nor there is strength in what you want to achieve, be it goals or dreams; and finally, never stop giving thanks for a day full of health and well-being.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR WANT READERS TO KNOW?

I want to thank life for the people that I meet and find me in their path, since we are like small links in this world and that together we create bonds and unions that help shape someone’s dream, thanks to this sport I have been able to visit 12 countries in the world and wonderful people along the way who always bring something new to your life. Without further ado, thank you very much again to everyone for reading about me and especially to the Amputee Coalition for opening their doors to me.