Watch: The Mexican swimming team transform the pool into their stage.

euronews (in English)

Paloma Velasquez, a former artistic swimmer and phycologist, founded The Special Mermaids, a synchronised swimming team composed of athletes with diverse disabilities.

Transcript

00:00Well, artistic swimming is my life, it's my passion.

00:06When we swim, which are routines, it's a dance in the water and the stage is the pool.

00:15Being able to do routines makes me feel empowered, strong.

00:23When I'm underwater, I feel free.

00:28Being underwater is incredible, it's like being in another world.

00:37We are a very special team because we are made up of people with different disabilities.

00:48We are two-time world champions and we are also Pan-American champions.

01:00The people with D.A.M.M.E. are people like any other person.

01:06We can do everything in the world, no matter what is behind us.

01:19SIRENAS ESPECIALES

01:22Sirenas Especiales is an artistic swimming team for people with disabilities.

01:2895% are athletes with D.A.M.M.E. Syndrome.

01:32D.A.M.M.E. Syndrome is a condition that has different characteristics.

01:40For example, some people find it difficult to speak.

01:46For example, some people find it difficult to speak.

01:54For example, some people find it difficult to speak.

02:04A Sirenas Especiales training is like any other training.

02:09We start with swimming, then we work on specific exercises for artistic swimming

02:14to get to know the positions, movements, and then we do the routines,

02:20which is the combination of all these movements, positions, and arm movements,

02:25which makes you conform.

02:28I like swimming with my friends.

02:31I have a lot of team friends.

02:34I like making butterflies,

02:39colors,

02:41frogs,

02:44I like competitions,

02:48I like to win medals.

02:55I like to experiment with new things with my coach.

03:00I try to do it, even if it's hard work.

03:03If I don't do it the first, second or third time,

03:09I never give up.

03:11Even if it's a difficult challenge, I always like to overcome it.

03:18My coach has been a very important factor for me

03:23because he has really been able to help me a lot.

03:29He has helped me in many ways.

03:34What can mean a challenge to work with athletes with OCD

03:38is sometimes the way you communicate.

03:41I have learned to work in a language that they understand.

03:45And all of a sudden, the attention and concentration.

03:48And that's precisely why this is the project.

03:51All of my teammates have been good companions.

03:56We get along very well.

03:58We are different people in common.

04:03As we always say, we are a great family.

04:12What I like to do the most out of the water is TikTok.

04:17I like it!

04:20I love it too.

04:22I spend all my time with my family.

04:27My mom is everything to me.

04:30She is my top.

04:31She is my life's biggest supporter.

04:35Special Mermaids changed my life completely.

04:38I think now I value many more things than before.

04:43And I also know that when challenges come, everything can be accomplished.

04:48In many different ways.

04:51What I like the most is when we are together and we talk.

04:56And see how they get excited.

04:59See how they move forward.

05:01How we start to ride and everything is in order.

05:06And all of a sudden, everything starts to make sense.

05:09Everything starts to get organized.

05:12What I hope for my Special Mermaids

05:15is that they continue to shine and grow.

05:21What I hope for my Special Mermaids

05:25is that people see athletes with Down syndrome

05:30and they can do whatever they want.

05:34There will be things that are a bigger challenge on a social level.

05:38But we can move forward a little bit.

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