Pedro Pablo de Vinatea
A native of Peru, Pedro is an ambassador for the sport of para badminton in his home country, encouraging many young and older people with a disability to get actively involved in badminton.
A native of Peru, Pedro is an ambassador for the sport of para badminton in his home country, encouraging many young and older people with a disability to get actively involved in badminton.
Contributed to making para badminton a formal sport in Peru
At the age of 14, Pedro was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right leg. The amputation above his knee in 2001 did not stop him from following his passion of playing badminton.
For several years, he was the only impaired person in badminton sport in Peru. With the support of the Peruvian Federation and the Peruvian sports institute, he initiated the process of making para badminton a formal sport in 2014, which led to more and more people with disabilities getting actively involved in badminton.
Important motivator for schoolchildren
Besides this, Pedro is responsible for getting para badminton recognised as an official sport at the Parapan American Games in Lima 2019. He used this opportunity to put an even greater focus on his sport among the Peruvian people, winning the gold medal in para badminton at the Para PanAmerican Games (class SL3).
De Vinatea is an important motivational speaker in Peru and, especially for kids, he has become a role model in his country. He is invited to schools and other institutions, where he tells his story and inspires people with amputations to get active in sports.
Key facts
Nation: Peru
Year of birth: 1987
Sport: Para badminton
Classification: SL3
Coach: Ram Vijay
Club: Club Regatas Lima
Victories and achievements
Parapan American Games Lima 2019:
Gold medal in the SL3 singles