A Peruvian Looking to Become Olympic Best Cross-Country Skier

Today’s New York Times print and online issues include a story about Roberto Carcelen, a 38-year old Peruvian who is looking to become the only Peruvian cross-country skier in the 2010 Olympics. Carcelen, one of only a handful of South American skiers with sights set on the Vancouver Games, is training while also being a consultant for Microsoft.

As the NYT story states, Kent Murdoch is a two-time medalist in the World Masters cross-country championships who is a member of Carcelen’s training group, and says about this Peruvian:

“Roberto is like many of us. He wants to see how far he can go. But what impresses me every day is that he is doing it in a new arena, and with a drive and intensity that most people just dream about.”

What is remarkable about this story is Carcelen’s energy and dedication to achieve his dream in such a unique niche in Peruvian sports. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Peru has so many things to do given its weather diversity, including surfing and running, two of the activities Carcelen has experience at. But nobody practices cross-country skiing as a sport.

Click here to read the full NYT story. Good luck, Roberto! You are already a winner to our beloved Peru!