Back in 2002 my sister and my mother showed me call for entries with an already closing deadline.
For the 2003 Pan American Games, the local organizers needed a mascot. The catch was that it had to be a manatee. Why? Because manatees are endangered species on our island and they wanted to create awareness about them.
To turn one of the least graceful of creatures on earth into a Sport Athlete was not an easy task.
So I didn’t. I took a manatee, put him in the role and I saw that he could be great in some sports while lacking in others. It is hard to believe in flawless characters.
This honest approach seemed to be the favorite of the organizing board and thus he became the first winner of the 2003 Pan American Games.
They even made the Game's trophies based on the image I made of him carrying the torch.
My mother and sister keep the trophy I got for him.
