El hombre más fuerte del mundo

The strongest man in the world is called Darío Villarroel and he lives in Palpalá, Jujuy. He’s 38 years old and four foot one. He suffers from achondroplasia (a bone cartilage growth disorder that causes dwarfism), was a member of the Argentine Weightlifting Team and at the World Championships in Cairo set a new world record in his class. However, the International Paralympic Committee wouldn’t let him compete at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics saying that he had an unsafe grip on the bar. His technique offers no sporting advantage, it simply increases the risk of injury. What the Committee didn’t take into account is that Darío’s condition prevents him from holding the bar in anyother way. Darío wouldn’t be allowed to compete officially ever again, but his spirit is irrepressible. (Mar del Plata International Film Festival)