A month ago, an important edition of the Maratón de Reyes took place, with many innovations in its organization that mark a turning point. The designation of Concordia as the Provincial Capital of the Marathon, which Mayor Enrique Cresto received from the Provincial Government, confirms this. But beyond the sporting aspect, there are other snapshots that draw attention, that move us, and that give a unique meaning to the competition that goes far beyond the athletic. One of those snapshots was the flag present in memory of the 44 crew members of the ARA San Juan, which received applause from everyone.
"Every year we run the Maratón de Reyes," says Alejandro Saldivia, who lives in Concordia and every January welcomes his relatives (the Saldivias, the Beróns), who travel from Buenos Aires to participate in the International Maratón de Reyes in Concordia. But this time it was different.
"My dad was a sailor, he was on the ARA General Belgrano Cruiser before it sank," Alejandro says with pride. "At home, we fondly keep old photos of dad on the General Belgrano," he says. His brother and nephew are sailors, and they are not the only ones, since "the heart of my family is in the Navy," he states. It is thus that they decided to paint a light blue and white flag with the inscription "44 million Argentines praying for our 44 brothers."
"When we ran the race, the emotion that overwhelmed us was inexplicable; people applauded us, many started to cry, and others approached to take photos with us," he recalls. But the emotions were just beginning. "When we finished the race, we were met by the family of Fernando Mendoza," the Concordia resident who was part of the ARA San Juan crew.
"We were looking for you!" the Mendoza family told us, and everyone's tears began to flow; it was a mixture of sadness and at the same time great joy, because the Mendoza family felt honored by this act, to the point that after this, a beautiful friendship was formed with them; we have already shared an asado together, discussing stories and anecdotes about the life of a sailor," says Alejandro, moved.
"Everything that happened filled our souls; 44 heroes, 44 sailors who represent us, are in our hearts… Always," says Alejandro Saldivia.