Peruvians in Today’s Olympics: Wrestler Sixto Barrera Wants to Win Medal for Peru, Self & God (Not Necessarily in that Order)

Andina news agency reports that Peru’s wrestler Sixto Barrera debuts today at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Men’s Greco-Roman Wrestling, 74 kg., at 6:30 p.m. Beijing time (9:40 p.m. Perú time or 10:40 p.m. U.S. eastern time, notes blogger Peruanista). The 24-year-old Peruvian wrestler is counting on God’s grace, he says, to give him the strength to achieve victory in the wrestling ring.

Sixto Barrera qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics after winning the gold medal (Greco-Roman wrestling, 66-74 kg) at the Pan American Games in Colorado Springs, Colorado. That victory secured him the only available spot at the tournament to travel to China.

He defeated American wrestler T.C. Dantzler, 5th place in the 2006 World Championship.

Barrera says he was honored to carry Peru’s flag during the opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The experience was deeply moving, he told Andina:

“It was an enormous honor to hold the Peruvian flag. A dream come true. Personally, I only need to show why I was chosen to be Peru’s flag-bearer. I thank God for giving me this joy,” he stated after the parade at Bird’s Nest stadium.

“This is the first time I qualified for the Games, and I always enter competitions with great faith,” said the young wrestler. “Every time I say that I am ‘God’s warrior’ because He gives me the strength to achieve these victories. This medal is more than for me — it is for Peru because the country’s name will be written again at the largest universal sports event,” Barrera told Andina news agency.

Barrera’s past achievements include: a gold medal at the Bolivarian Games in Colombia 2005; a gold medal at the VIII South American Games Odesur, Buenos Aires 2006; and a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro 2007.

Barrera is one of Peru’s hopes to get a medal. (source: ANDINA news agency)

An in-depth profile of Barrera on Peruanista blog reveals that the powerful afro-Peruvian wrestler draws inspiration from San Martin de Porres (1579-1639), the first black saint in the Americas.

Barrera lost his father at age 3 and grew up with limited material resources. He credits his mother with having shaped his character and sense of fair sportsmanship.  (Click here to read more about Barrera’s personal integrity, his rise from obscurity to wrestling fame, and his gracious way of thanking all who have made his Olympic journey possible.)

I confess that I’ve become more intrigued by Barrera now that I know he’s a fan of San Martin. For those of you who have never been to Peru, it’s hard to convey how important the Catholic saints are here. Their images are everywhere: in banks, government buildings, parks — you name it. Peru is overwhelmingly Catholic, and so nobody thinks twice about the intermingling of religion and public life. Even if you’re not Catholic (that includes me and El Hijo), you quickly become familiar with Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, San Hilarion (he’s the money guy) and the rest of the saintly pantheon.

According to early colonial history, San Martin was a very, very powerful guy. He was a top-notch healer and surgeon, as well as a fundraiser, and cured thousands of poor people when they were about to kick the bucket. Supposedly San Martin could levitate (float in the air) and bilocate (be in two places at once). People pray to him today for miraculous cures and victory over all obstacles.

The Dominican order didn’t allow black people to be monks when San Martin started off at Lima’s Santo Domingo church (they admitted him as a lay brother/janitor), but after a while, he became so renowned for his cures, the Church relented and made him a Dominican brother. About 300 years after his death, he was canonized by the Pope. Yep, it took that long for the first black saint of the Americas to receive his due (talk about unfair).

Let’s hope that Barrera receives his due as a world-class athelete tonight in Beijing.