On August 16th, 2016 Santiago Lange amazed the sporting world when he
and his teammate Cecilia Carranza won the gold medal in sailing at the
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. At that time he was 54 years old, it
was his sixth Olympic participation and he fought against unbelievable
obstacles. His victory was an incomparable demonstration of his will to
fight - not even one year after he had to undergo surgery because of
lung cancer. Santiago Lange gave the world of sailing an unforgettable
moment of glory. But how did he manage to get back on his feet in such a
short time, to train without rest and to take part at the Olympic Games
again? And why did he fight when his body, friends and family thought it
was time to stop? »Nothing gives me more joy of life and adrenaline than
the challenge of sport. When I'm on the water, my thoughts rest. Time
stands still. I feel the wave, I feel the wind turning. The tension of
the boat tells me that I have to change course or trim. I react, the
boat gets faster and everything else doesn't exist anymore. It's always
been like that.« Santiago Lange