WILSON DO ROSARIO
THE MAN
I’m Wilson Do Rosario. I was born in Spain, in a village called Villager de Laciana, although my parents are from the island of Cape Verde. I spent my childhood, my first 15 years, in the Valley of Laciana. Later, when my father retired from the mine, we moved to Ponferrada, further north. I lived there until I decided to move. As an adult, wanting to see more of the world, I chose to go to Mallorca. There I had a good life: I got to know the island, practiced sports, worked… overall, everything was going pretty well for me.
THE ATHLETE
My world as an athlete started when I was a child. I practiced athletics for many years in the Valley of Laciana, until I was 15. Then, after moving to Ponferrada, I played football for 7 years.
I’ve practiced several sports, three of them at a federation level. Sport has always been my hobby, my lifestyle. Later, I focused on bodybuilding because it really caught my attention. In fact, I knew that when I stopped playing football, I would dedicate myself to it — and that’s exactly what happened.
I’ve been competing in bodybuilding since I was 26 or 27, and I still do today, at 41.
THE HERO
My life in Mallorca was full, dedicated to bodybuilding and my work as a welder. One night I had a car accident: I fell asleep at the wheel on my way home. Three weeks later I woke up from a coma in a hospital, not knowing what had happened to me. I was completely quadriplegic: I couldn’t move anything from the neck down. The doctors told me I would never move more than 10% of my body again. And I just answered them: “for now.”
And that’s how it was. I was transferred from Mallorca to the Paraplegic Hospital in Toledo, where I began my recovery. I spent a whole year living in the hospital and recovering. When I was discharged, I continued rehabilitation on my own. I threw myself fully into the gym because I wanted it, I needed it. I set myself the goal of walking again, standing tall again, and competing once more — but this time on my feet.
In that process, I also discovered that I enjoy competing in a wheelchair. Why? Because it’s a completely different perspective from that of a standing competitor. It’s pretty tough, but it gives me even more energy to keep moving forward.
I always tell people: “Limits are set by yourself. The body follows the mind.”
And here we are. This is my second competition in a wheelchair (EMPRO CLASSIC 2025). I loved it, I enjoyed it a lot, and I encourage everyone to do sports. Not only bodybuilding, but for me, it’s better than any psychologist.
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