Pandemic Forces Venezuelan Olympic Champion To Deliver Food To Support Family

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit masses around the globe, pushing millions into poverty. Several reports have brought attention to the instances where people have been forced to take up odd jobs for survival.

35-year-old Ruben Limardo who had won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, as a fencer, can now be seen cycling his way delivering food orders in Poland to make ends meet amid the pandemic.

The Venezuelan gold medallist has been living in Poland for the past 19 years. He recently took to social media to share his plight and also stated that the job has been aiding him to train for the Tokyo Olympics next year.

"You have to earn your way and this is a job like any other," he told AFP explaining how his day comprises of training and making food deliveries for Uber Eats.

Surprisingly, he is not the only one struggling financially due to the COVID crisis. Twenty other members of Venezuela's national fencing team have been forced to take up such jobs in the town of Lodz in Poland.

"We get very little money from Venezuela because of the crisis there. And the pandemic has turned everything around. There are no competitions, the Tokyo Olympics were delayed for a year and the sponsors are saying they will start paying again in the new year.

Limardo, who travels around 50 kilometres (31 miles) every day on his bike and earns around 100 euros a week, opined that the job works well with his training and considers it an extension of his overall strength training.

"It allows us to live, finish our studies. We help each other out with training, paying rents. Everyone works to finance the others in the group," he added.

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