The Camino de Santiago will once again become the scene of a solidarity challenge. Juan Manuel Soto will leave on August 30 from Jerez to travel nearly 1,100 kilometers by mountain bike to Santiago de Compostela with an objective that goes far beyond sport: to give visibility to Tourette syndrome.
Twelve stages, almost 1,100 kilometers and a deeply personal motivation. Juan Manuel Soto, member of the Jerez Swimming Master Club and Jerez Local Police, is preparing one of those challenges in which the Camino once again demonstrates that it can be much more than a route to Compostela.
The adventure will begin on August 30 at 7:30 a.m. at the María Auxiliadora roundabout in Jerez. From there it will head north, mainly following the Silver Way, with the intention of reaching Santiago on September 10.
A challenge that is born very close to home
Behind the kilometers there is a personal story. A close relative of Soto suffers from Tourette syndrome and the athlete has decided to take advantage of the impact of a tour of these characteristics to help make the disorder better known.
Tourette syndrome is characterized by the presence of involuntary movements or sounds. But one of the messages that this challenge aims to convey is that its consequences can go beyond the visible symptoms, especially due to the misunderstanding or social difficulties that those who suffer from it may experience.
Turning the Camino into a speaker is precisely one of the reasons that gives meaning to the challenge.
POLICY
JEREZ CITY COUNCIL
Twelve stages to Santiago
The planned route will cross a good part of the western peninsula before entering Galicia.
After leaving Jerez, the itinerary will pass through points such as Valencina de la Concepción, Real de la Jara, Villafranca de los Barros, Cáceres, Salamanca, Zamora, Puebla de Sanabria, A Gudiña and Allariz, until finally reaching Santiago de Compostela.
It will be a considerable effort even for an experienced athlete. To arrive prepared, Soto claims to have spent weeks of around 400 kilometers of training.
Furthermore, it will not be your first experience of this type. This will be your third great solidarity challenge, again using sport as a tool to draw attention to a social cause.
El Camino as a speaker
There is something especially interesting about initiatives like this.
Every year we find pilgrims who come to the Camino for completely different reasons. Some seek spirituality; other sports, disconnection or adventure. And there are also those who decide to use their kilometers to ensure that other people are heard.
For twelve days, every pedal stroke by Juan Manuel Soto will have precisely that purpose.
If everything goes as planned, the September 10 will arrive in Santiago after almost 1,100 kilometers.
But this time the real goal will not be only in Praza do Obradoiro.
It will be in ensuring that, along the way, more people know what Tourette syndrome is.
