Daniel Caverzaschi was born on July 11, 1993, with a malformation in his right leg. He is a role model. A national and world reference in the world of tennis. His ability has allowed him to achieve personal and sports success.
In the Emilio Sanchez Academy, we are fortunate to have him as a part of our academy, a part of our identity, a player who is next to us. We are lucky to see him improve every day, and we consider him an example for young people to follow. On Wednesday, June 15th we had the opportunity to listen to him, he talked in front of families and ES students who were graduating from the senior class of 2022. Daniel told us his story, making it a story full of motivation and overcoming daily challenges.
Dani is dedicated to wheelchair tennis, his goal is to work constantly and become the best player in the world. He has a degree in Economics and has combined his studies with his tennis career. As he always says; “With passion and grit, I manage to overcome life’s difficulties”. Thanks to his effort and discipline, he qualified for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, one of the most special moments of his life. Two years later, his father passed away, may he rest in peacemaking the situation be more thought. He said that his father was his mentor and his motivation, but Daniel never gave up in the face of the situation, he kept going and studying until he finished his degree that same year. He wanted to start his tennis career and be able to achieve his sports goals. Furthermore, he achieved it, in Rio 2016 he got his first Olympic diploma, and in Tokyo 2020 he got the first Spanish Paralympic diploma in an individual wheelchair. From there, he reached the top 10 in the world, currently, he is ranked number 12 competing with the top.
After having the opportunity to listen to him in the graduation speech of our ES students, it is not enough to say that he is a role model; he is an example of success and overcoming. He is a person who wants to continue training and thus grow to achieve his dreams. He gave us three life lessons, three lessons of vital importance for his journey, both personally and professionally.
His story begins the day he was born, the day they realized he had a disability in his right leg. As he says, it was a shock for his family. That moment of disappointment and sadness lasted only a couple of days when everyone around him decided to treat him and give him a chance like a normal child. He wanted to be the best in his sport and in his life, or at least try to be. Paralympic’s sport was the luck of his life, the one that gave him the opportunity to train, compete and win. His message in this first experience is: “The sooner you accept your differences with honor and attitude, the better.”
The second is all about attitude. Dedicate time to what you love the most, to your passion. All experiences and activities in life, in this case for our ES students, have two sides, studying and playing tennis at the same time, no matter how many difficulties there are, if they are done with passion, they are worth it. According to Dani, “Success for me is to go for your goals and try to achieve them by doing your best”.
And finally, the third and last one, “Live the life you dream of since you were a child”. Not everything in life is rosy roads, there are many moments of frustration and difficulties, but they are part of the journey, the process, and education. As Daniel said, the power of resilience is one of the most important factors to internalize. The ability to face adversity, to be able to adapt and get up during the most difficult circumstances. We must project the future and move forward.
From the ES Academy, we want to show our support to all people who want to be part of the world of sport through tennis. We want our students to grow as Daniel has done, applying these three lessons of life; Accept, Confront and Act. From the ES Academy, we want to convey a message to all players and students who have been, are, and will be part of the ES Academy and the world of tennis; “With passion and discipline you can achieve anything you set your mind to”.
Know his complete story at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6L7jV90CD8
Tatiana Batalla & Sílvia Guitart
