Sport Shortlist

Roxana grew up dreaming of flying like a butterfly. As a child in rural Colombia, her mother made her colourful wings from paper and plastic to help bring that dream to life, but her flight was short-lived, as armed conflict forced her family to flee to the city of Medellín. Threatened by local paramilitary forces, the family sought asylum in the USA, but when that was refused, they were forced to relocate to Bogotá. When Roxana was 12, her father disappeared and was later murdered; his body was never recovered. Roxana drifted on to the streets and into drug addiction, living in extreme poverty. It was there that she discovered the street circus, which became a refuge for her. Ten years later, she learned ‘hair suspension,’ a circus technique that she describes as meditative, rather than painful. Today, at 31, Roxana is a dance student, continuing to use movement as a way to fulfill her dream of flying.