<![CDATA[Otago Down Syndrome Association - Carlos\'s Blog]]>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:33:02 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Greece, Turkey & Singapore ]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2015 01:26:21 GMThttps://www.odsa.org.nz/carloss-blog/greece-turkey-singaporeOn the 18th of June we started our journey around these 3 picturesque countries and their  marvellous towns. So grab a cup of coffee and let me tell you our travesia...  ]]><![CDATA[MAY 17th, 2015]]>Sun, 17 May 2015 23:50:18 GMThttps://www.odsa.org.nz/carloss-blog/may-17th-2015 When we first arrived to Australia in 2002 and we were establishing in our new home. A letter come from Ryde Sydney” Aquatic Centre”. Asking if my sister and I we were able to swim my mom said yes and then the stuff from the pool want to see us. We swam just okay then they turn to see my mom. They said immediately we were “beginners”. And that’s how I started my career as a swimmer.

As the years went by I competed in many completions while I was living in Sydney. Then we come to NZ I was involved in many squads & I attend in numerous completions now I am I C squad and training 4 days a week for 1 hour. I travelled to Taiwan to represent NZ. I come home with Gold. Silver & Bronze. My goal is to attend the Special Olympics to travel and breaking records. My career as a swimmer will end when I turn 30 years old and after that I will rest with my other passion Photography.  


]]><![CDATA[May 05th, 2015]]>Wed, 06 May 2015 01:51:41 GMThttps://www.odsa.org.nz/carloss-blog/may-05th-2015When I was in Bolivia in the department of La Paz. I got invited to have lunch at my Girlfriend’s

home. After we finished eating we were deciding what we could do. We discussed the options,

and my father in Law he had a brilliant idea. He told us if we could go to the Gondola an iconic

place of La Paz. Along come my sister in law because It was our last days together.

So the 3 of us went, we paid the tickets hop on the gondola and we enjoyed the scenery. While

we were inside we took a several snap shots some are funny ones. We were talking and

laughing at the same time. As you know good things come to an end

Then my father in law kindly dropped me off to my uncle’s home. Brother of my mom’s Walter

Meriles. Because my other uncle Jaime with my cousin Martin were there to have a cuppa.my

grandpa he was also there.
]]><![CDATA[MY TRIP ]]>Tue, 17 Mar 2015 21:09:21 GMThttps://www.odsa.org.nz/carloss-blog/my-tripDunedin man Carlos Biggemann was ''speechless'' when his father told him he had won a New Zealand Down Syndrome Association national achievement award for his accomplishments in swimming and photography. Mr Biggemann was one of three young people to be presented with an award at an event hosted in Wellington at Government House by Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae last Thursday.

Born in Bolivia, Mr Biggemann shifted to New Zealand with his family in 2006.

Since then, he has excelled at swimming, winning three medals - a bronze, silver and gold - at the Downs Syndrome International Swimming Championships in Taipei in 2010, while a pupil at Bayfield High School.

He has also developed a passion for photography and completed a level four certificate in digital photography at Aoraki Polytechnic last year.

This passion for photography gave him media attention in Bolivia when he opened an exhibition of his work entitled ''New Zealand Magic'' and 23 of 50 pictures were sold within two hours of its opening. The story was then picked up by two local newspapers and he was interviewed on CNN.

Mr Biggemann said he was shocked when his father informed him he had won the national award.

''I was speechless, I didn't know how to react.''

He said he was very proud of his achievements and planned to continue taking photos and swimming.

He had now also set his sights on Hollywood and wanted to go to a university in Los Angeles and study special

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