Raylinds Luquez

My name is Raylinds Luquez, I'm from Rivas, Nicaragua. I am fourteen years old.

I have a small family, my mother’s name is Biatris Luquez and my sister is named Abigail, she is three years old.

My father died almost two years ago. After he passed away he left an empty space in our hearts and home.

I am a discus and javelin thrower. I belong to the athletic team of Rivas and I am really happy to be a part of it because they have given me the opportunity to prove myself and my family that everything is possible through hard work. They have shown me that they believed in me and they have encouraged me to improve my skills by saying all the time that I have a lot of potential.

Now I can see that they were right, because the 23^rd and 24^th of October I won the first place in javelin, second in discus and third place shot put. I will proudly represent my country in the Central American’s tournament in a track and field competition that will be taking place in Costa Rica.

This is going to be my first time outside of Nicaragua and I am really excited about it. My only concern is that I need to get a passport, but for my mother it will be impossible to afford it since her income is not enough. She does her best to provide food on our table, Mom works as a secretary in a surveyor's office.

Nicole:
The cost of a passport and the associated paperwork is $25, but at a salary of less than $200 per month, this is out of reach for Raylinds' mom. We are hoping that a grandfather and uncle who had expressed interest in helping will come through, but I consider it completely uncertain until actually paid.

Fortunately, we have a donor who has already expressed interest in helping too! So there is no doubt that Raylinds will be going to Costa Rica to compete at the end of November!