Sergio Cámara: the cyclist who overcame adversity with more than 2,000 km on the bike
Two years ago, Sergio Cámara could barely complete 5 kilometers on a bike. Today, this September, he has set himself an incredible challenge: to ride more than 2,000 kilometers across Spain, from San Fernando (Cádiz) to Bilbao. His goal is clear: to raise awareness of the benefits of cycling and to show how this sport can change lives.
Sergio's story is an example of overcoming obstacles. After suffering a severe accident that almost left him in a wheelchair, his mobility was seriously affected, and even today walking is difficult for him. However, he found a second chance in cycling.
"The doctor told me I was going to lose my mobility, which plunged me into a deep depression. I was trapped in a hole that seemed impossible to get out of, but the bike gave me back my will to live", says Sergio.
Cycling as therapy and motivation
What began as a simple effort to regain mobility became a radical transformation. Through cycling, Sergio not only managed to improve his physical condition, but also found a purpose.
"I couldn't even bend down to tie my shoelaces, but today the bike has given me my life back. With this challenge I want to encourage people to do sports, even in small doses. If I have lost 43 kilos in two years and can now complete 90-kilometer bike routes, anyone can do it."
Sergio combines training both on road bikes, which allow him to cover long distances more efficiently, and on mountain bikes, ideal for tackling demanding terrain. His challenge is not only a personal achievement, but also a source of inspiration for all those who seek in cycling a way to improve their quality of life.
1-Kilometer Routes
Sergio Cámara lives in San Fernando (Cádiz), was a rugby player in his youth, and now, at 52 years old, goes out almost every day on his bike to do routes between 40 and 90 kilometers. So far, nothing out of the ordinary; in Spain, there are thousands of cycling enthusiasts who enjoy their daily rides. The exceptional thing about Sergio's case is that two years ago he was barely able to complete a 1-kilometer ride on his bike. "The doctor told me I was going to lose mobility, I cried from pain, and I was stuck in a bottomless pit," he recalls. And now he's planning to cross Spain from end to end in 19 stages. "I want people who are in the same situation I was in to see that you can move forward by setting yourself challenges, that you don't have to sink." Sergio has trouble walking and suffers from continuous back pain. "The only thing that relieves me is going out on my bike." A few years ago, as a result of a work accident, he was diagnosed with loss of mobility in his left ankle and degenerative osteoarthritis in his spine. "After that, I was hit by a car and my kneecap popped out. The doctor told me that if I didn't start exercising, I was going to lose mobility. That's when I fell into a depression that took me to a pit I couldn't see a way out of. I was at 163 kilos, unable to bend down to tie my shoes, and feeling like a burden to my wife." What made Sergio get on the bike? "I told my wife I had lost my alma, that I didn't believe in anything anymore. But I saw a bike that said 'Alma' and my wife told me to buy it, that I had crossed paths with that bike four times and that it was like a sign from fate." That's how he bought the Orbea Alma with which he has spent two years overcoming his limitations. "At first I did 1 or 2 kilometers with it. I couldn't do more because I was dying of pain; for me, doing a 1-kilometer route was a triumph. Little by little, I started doing more, and I noticed that when I went out on my bike, the pain subsided."
The Trainer That Changed Everything
However, Sergio suffered another setback just as he was beginning to string together increasingly longer rides. The lockdown decreed due to the coronavirus pandemic forced him to put his bike aside. "My legs became weak, they swelled up a lot. Through Facebook I asked if anyone could lend me a roller so I could keep cycling at home, and a guy from Talavera De La Reina who owns a bike shop saw the photo of how my legs looked and told me he would send me one." For Sergio, that gift "was very emotional because it was a person who didn't know me at all and wanted to help me. That's when I started thinking about how I could also help other people, and little by little the idea of taking on this challenge came up. I started setting goals until I decided to cross Spain by bike."
The challenge: crossing Spain by bike
Sergio's inspiring challenge consists of completing 2,100 kilometers by bike from San Fernando (Cádiz) to Bilbao in 19 stages. "If I get tired and it ends up being 20, that's fine, I'm not in a hurry and I don't intend to break any records. The only thing I want is to encourage people to do sports, even if it's just 1 kilometer. If I have lost 43 kilos in 2 years and managed to do 90-kilometer routes when I could barely get out of bed and was considered hopeless, anyone can do it." Sergio will leave San Fernando with his Orbea Alma next September 11, stopping each day in different cities. "I'll pass through Mérida, Plasencia, Salamanca, Santiago, San Sebastián, Bilbao... Of course, also through Talavera, to greet the person who gave me the roller and inspired me for this challenge." Sergio will not be alone during his days on the bike. "At first I thought about doing it alone, on my own, at my own pace, but people from all over started writing to me saying they were going to join in. There are cyclists from Málaga who will accompany me on the first stage. And there is a cyclist from Chiclana named Mari Paz, who also had an accident that reduced her mobility, who will accompany me to Santiago with her husband. It's great that people join me on each stage." His goal is none other than "to inspire people to do sports. Some already tell me that when they feel bad, they think of me and that motivates them." You can follow Sergio Cámara and his challenge through his social networks on Instagram and Strava.