The Colombian cardiologist who crossed Lake Ontario and sent an autism awareness message

Last Friday, August 6, Juan Gabriel Acosta, a surgeon from Barrancabermeja, Santander, swam Lake Ontario in Canada, the country where he currently resides. Acosta, who has been practicing high-level sports for several years, wanted to convey a message concerning the awareness that humanity must have in the face of mental disorders such as autism. Felipe, his nephew, diagnosed with this condition, is his main motive.

According to what he revealed to local media, Felipe suffered from harassment, so he wishes other children, in the same condition as his nephew, did not go through the same situation. Seeks to educate the community on this condition. “In honor of him and all the children who go through the same thing, it is that I swam”, he stated.

“We believe that each person belongs. Our goal is to promote diversity and make room for everyone (…) We believe in everyone’s love for what they are. Our goal is to do good and enrich the lives of others ”, we read on the site AguaForAutism, where the Colombian shares what he does for people with autism and where he even receives donations to help this population by particular.

In total, Acosta had to cover 52 kilometers, a goal he reached in 19 hours. However, this is not the first time that the healthcare professional has done something of this type. It was September 2019 when he was swimming around Manhattan, USA; and it was in September 2015 that he traveled 16 kilometers between Europe and Africa, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.

According to information revealed by media such as TRO, Juan Gabriel was, at the time, a member of the Santander swimming team, when he resided in Barrancabermeja. Although he left this entity, he never stopped swimming.

Juan Gabriel was not alone. The complexity of what the surgeon did was such that he was constantly accompanied by a boat which, in addition to ensuring his safety, He fed him and checked that the athlete’s physical condition was at a level sufficient to complete the goal.

El Tiempo newspaper, one of the media that shed light on the story, commented that it all happened at two o’clock in the afternoon (Colombian time), and that the man had made stops 30 seconds to join and continue his mission. “It was a very hard night, I ate every 45 minutes. We gave him protein bars or chocolate but in the end he only wanted cookies. He cannot touch the boat, the stops were 30 seconds and he is holding a stick that we passed him from the boat and we also passed him the food “, said his work team on social networks.

Acosta, said this national newspaper, nothing without a special neoprene suit, which makes its activity a little more difficult. Its team is made up of Lee Hart, associate director and swim coach; Susana Escobar, swimming coach; Isabella Jaramillo, events manager; Kendra Pyatt, fundraising manager; and Gallagher Patterson, who is on the swim team.

“We believe in a world where everyone feels accepted and where everyone is loved for their differences. Join us on our journey to fight for this vision while Gabriel Acosta takes up the challenge of long distance swimming to raise funds for young people with autism ”, it is read on the web page in which, in addition, two future dates are read so that ‘Gabe’, as they refer to Acosta, returns to surprise with his physical capacities: England and Colombia.

By 2022, according to the schedule, the Colombian is expected to face the Channel. “Gabe” will set off from Shakespeare’s Cliff in Kent, UK, and swim 32 km in Cap Gris Nez, France. In 2023, Acosta will have his longest swim in his home country as he plans to swim 72 kilometers from San Andrés Island to Providencia, in 25 hours.

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