Lucio Lagarto Rodrigues, the black belt from Gracie Barra, is an inspiration to all. He has won the Europeans multiple times, World Pro and more importantly, he has beaten cancer.
Lagarto has never been able to compete in the US where the 2 biggest competitions are held: the Pan and the Worlds. He has had his US visa application rejected 7 times.
Lagarto Said:
“I have been fighting the Worlds for many years, since the Worlds moved to America, I tried to get my visa and I never got it. I got my first denied visa during the attack on September 11 at the World Trade Center. I don’t know, since then they still keep rejecting my visa one after another. When you mention that my name was one of the favorites to win the Worlds, I have to hold my tears because that’s my dream. It’s a dream for every Jiu-jtsu athlete to win that title, and when they take this from you and you don’t even have a chance to try, its quite sad. You know I have overcome a lot of things in my life but this is something that really frustrates me, because that is a big part of my history. They deny my visa with out even checking my papers. I am sad about it but I will not give up.”
Good news is that Lagarto has finally gotten his Visa approved to the US and appeared on ‘This Week on BJJ” with Budo Jake where he talked about his hard beginnings in the UK, Never having able to have competed in the US, facing Ronaldo Jacare when he was at his peak, how he overcame cancer.
