Highlights: Julian Esteban Villegas is a 31-year-old athlete from Colombia. He has been homeless since the age of six. At 17, he took part in a race by chance, in his native region, Antioquia. That day, he discovered that he was gifted for athletics. He trains every day to improve his performance and competes without respite. In the general classification, he is 111th, with the best time of the young, out of nearly, nearly, 15,000 participants.

About twenty years ago, when he was only a teenager and surviving thanks to odd jobs and gardening, Julian Esteban Villegas took part in a race by chance, in his native region,…

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Julian Esteban Villegas, from the street to the athletic podiums

About twenty years ago, when he was just a teenager and surviving thanks to odd jobs and gardening, Julian Esteban Villegas participated in a race by chance, in his native region, Antioquia. That day, he discovered that he was gifted for athletics. Today, at 31, he has made it his career. He trains every day to improve his performance and competes without respite. The young homeless man has become an adult, an athlete with multiple medals.

Julian Esteban Villegas during the Nevado Del Ruiz marathon in Colombia. © Official photo of the 2023 competition

By: Najet Benrabaa Follow

From our correspondent in Colombia,

His gaze is piercing, his words direct and the tone of his voice calm. No hesitation or embellishment when it comes to talking about your life. She was rough, ungrateful and full of surprises. Quickly, Julian Esteban Villegas explains that he is preparing to write a book about his journey, that of the rage to live or rather the rage to survive.

At a very young age, around the age of six, he found himself in the house of an unknown family in the town of Rionegro,

Colombia

. It is his bosses who make him work every day in the sugar cane fields. He will also receive many canings for any type of mistake. Most of them are childish missteps.

“

I don’t know why my mother left me with these people. They hit me for any reason. I worked hard. Almost every day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sometimes from sunrise, around 4 a.m., to sunset. As a child, I would often doze off around 4:30 a.m. and get beaten with a stick for it. In addition, around Rionegro, there were also armed groups who mistreated me, especially when they found me on the route shopping for my bosses. The guerrillas also tried to recruit me. I escaped them.

Tired of the anger that inhabited and gnawed at him, he ended up leaving this home. His gaze gets lost when he recalls this period of his life. No need to give sordid details. Pain is visible on his face.

A hard worker

Julian Esteban Villegas has always been a hard worker. So, he continued to offer his services in the village. Even while living on the streets, his work was appreciated by the residents of Rionegro. A school teacher also helped him begin his studies. Until the day someone gave him a bike. He discovers a new world that fascinates him and he wants to compete.

At 17, he feels ready. On the advice of an acquaintance, he headed towards the starting line: "

I was told: 'Go quickly, because there is a bike race!' So I set off with the necessary equipment, my bike and my cycling shoes that fit onto the pedals. When I arrived at the stand, they explained to me that it was not cycling, but athletics. I asked where I could leave my bike. I didn't hesitate. I ran the eight kilometers with the wrong shoes, while there were the best runners in Colombia like Juan Carlos Cardona, an Olympic

athlete
. I didn't know anything about it at the time. I came eighth in this category out of 5,000.

”

A succession of victories, his revenge on life

That day, at 17, while he was a gardener, Julian Esteban discovered his passion for cycling. By talking about his exploit to his boss, the latter decides to accompany him in his training. The goal is to participate in the Medellin half marathon. Without any knowledge in the field, Julian Esteban Villegas trains every day after work, after sunset. A few months later, he crossed the finish line in one hour and thirty-seven minutes. In the general classification, he is 111th, with the best time of the young runners, out of nearly 15,000 participants.

Today, he still trains every day from 4:00 a.m. “

I don’t have a sponsor, so there’s no respite. I go shopping almost every fortnight. Often, I reinvest the money won in other races. If I don't earn enough, I do odd jobs in the fields to get by. But I won't stop athletics. Next year, my main goal is to run at altitude, over 3,400

meters, to participate in the Guatativa Trail Merrel. Because this race allows you to qualify for the Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland. Since the 1990s, no Colombian has won it

. »

While waiting to win this Swiss medal, he has several – Colombian – to his credit: that of the Ginebra half-marathon, the Nevado del Ruiz marathon, the Popayan mountain marathon or the K42 race in Cali. Recently, he also traveled to Argentina. Next year he will start the year with the Sevilla race in Colombia. At the end of our interview, with a smile and a determined look, Julian Esteban Villegas left to train, for the second time, the same day. Two days later, he competed in two competitions in one weekend.

Julian Esteban Villegas, from the street to the athletic podiums

Julian Esteban Villegas, from the street to the athletic podiums

A hard worker

A succession of victories, his revenge on life

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