Focusing on the other end of the hotel lobby, Daniel Somarribas, five, leans forward in his wheelchair, stares at a fixed point and races off past guests as his stay in Malta nears its end.
This little boy with a “burning flame” inside is a Costa Rican champion – and “a Maltese one too”, he proudly declares – having won the first children’s wheelchair race in Malta last Saturday.
Daniel, an athlete in every sense of the word, was brought here by triathlete champion Fabio Spiteri, who was amazed at the confidence and fighting spirit this little boy had despite being confined to a wheelchair.
Daniel’s energy and determination is con-tagious and as he zooms up and down the Radisson Golden Sands lobby, his one-year-old brother, Josué, surprises everyone by taking his first steps. Holding to one of the light brown sofas, he unsteadily puts one foot in front of the other to the gasps of joy of his mother Gabriella. Smiling from ear to ear and clapping her hands, she calls her husband over, to rush to the sofa and see what was happening.
Daniel hugs his mother as she fans the tears rolling down her cheeks in what was just another first for Daniel and his family.
Ironically, when Daniel was the same age, he used to get around on a mini skateboard-like device. He would use his arms and push himself around the house until he got old enough to use a wheelchair.
Back home, he races with adults. In fact, here it was his first time racing with children his own age. The experience was fantastic not just because he won the race but having someone his own age to race with, Mr Spiteri said.
Love and a close knit family are what gave Daniel the tools to live a normal life and he is “completely normal”, his mother said, describing how he did absolutely everything with his friends back home.
Mimicking the signature arm gesture of Jamaican running star Usain Bolt as he darts around, Daniel attracts the attention of hotel guests and staff alike.
One elderly British man holding on to a portable oxygen tank looks on in amazement and tells the gift shop assistant that the little boy is “remarkable”.
Daniel exudes a positive attitude and happiness and, coupled with a focus that one would expect from an adult athlete, he dreams of becoming a paralympian.
He leaves Malta today after fulfilling another dream of swimming with dolphins.
Mr Spiteri is collecting funds to get eight pairs of lightweight racing wheels for adults in Malta to start a racing club here. For more information contact Mr Spiteri on fabiospiteri@hotmail. com.