Marcelino Oliver stopped pedaling on the morning of November 20, 2013 due to a fatal accident. His eldest son, who inherited his name and hobby, and the rest of the family, their lives stopped on the national highway 301 towards Cieza to Murcia, at the height of Blanca, the same point where the 64 years and illusions ended of the father.
Marcelino Jr.’s intuition was what gave him the bad news. «Forty minutes before he called me so excited, like a child on Three Kings Day, to tell me that the doctor had released him and he could ride a bicycle. It was his passion, along with family and friends. At 11:30 a.m. I received a message from a friend to tell me about an event, but without knowing their identities: ‘Nino, a car has killed an elderly cyclist’. I knew it was him.”
In those moments of uncertainty, Marcelino tried to contact his father on a telephone that had a line but no one answered. “I started to cry. My father and my best friend were gone. We have been very lucky my sister and I with him. We went out to train together. While we pedaled, closer or farther, with better or worse rhythm, I was telling him my things and he gave me advice. He knew me so well that he always had the right words for me to come out of any conversation reinforced and motivated ».
“In reality we are doing what my father did throughout his life: helping others,” summarizes Mariano Oliver
The driver, who hit Marcelino from behind, did not test positive for drugs and claimed in his statement that he had not seen the cyclist.
Forgive to live in peace
He did not have to face any trial because the family decided to forgive him after knowing his personal circumstances. «Fifteen days before the trial we paralyze all judicial processes. We learned that his mother had cancer and it seemed to us that the trial could complicate everything. What was I thinking not to see my father? We prefer to forgive because it allows those who grant it to continue living in peace. It is an act of self-love and liberation. Release to continue. There’s no more. In the end, my father is not here, and nothing is going to bring him back.”
Marcelino Oliver decided to transform the pain of loss into hope for other cyclists who may be suffering the consequences of an accident. And this is how the Marcelino Oliver Foundation was born. “In my family we were very lost. We would have appreciated assistance of any kind to help us, especially with the bureaucracy. That’s why, when I received the compensation money, I thought of creating an association that could encourage cyclists and their families.”
Support to 20 families
Since then, the Marcelino Oliver Foundation has advised 20 families. “Very special cases” such as that of Fátima, a young Galician who received legal and psychological guidance. “Her husband contacted us when she was in critical condition in hospital after a truck ran over her. In addition to her professional help, he called her every day to inquire about her progress and encourage her. Her life has taken a radical change. And, although we do not know each other in person, she is already part of the family ».
It is precisely the satisfaction of overcoming adversity as a team, as a good cycling team, that keeps the Marcelino Oliver Foundation standing, promoting the values of sacrifice and humility for healthy, responsible and safe cycling.
Greater road respect
And while it is true that cyclists do not have it easy when it comes to making a route by road, they also recognize their share of responsibility in poor road coexistence. “There is a lot of aggressiveness in general. We don’t respect each other. I do not see it as correct that there are groups of cyclists who are in competition without being so, occupying the lanes, nor do I see it as correct that there are drivers who believe they are the masters of the road. We should lower the tension and respect all traffic regulations. We are not aware of the danger that the road entails.
According to data from the General Directorate of Traffic, between 2018 and 2020, 205 cyclists died throughout Spain, in the 30 days after the accident. Among the main causes of accidents are the increase in bicycle trips and the lack of infrastructure adapted for cyclists that is safe enough. Other causes are driving stress and driver distractions behind the wheel.
Among the achievements that the foundation treasures, it is worth highlighting the formation of the first professional women’s cycling team in the Region. A sports reference that makes women cyclists visible and is committed to sustainability, the promotion of physical activity and well-being. On the other hand, thanks to the social work of the foundation, the solidarity work during the pandemic has been very remarkable, donating essential goods and other resources to the most disadvantaged sectors of society.
But Marcelino Oliver’s head continues to accumulate socially committed ideas to honor his father’s name, and continue to grow on the path he has chosen to live, that of solidarity. And while they become solid projects or not, he imagines what his father would say to him. “We are actually doing the same thing he did his whole life: helping others.” And although he believes that he would count on his help in the foundation, he admits that he would advise him to calm down: «’Nino, don’t be so spontaneous, please. Think before you do things. Give yourself a few days to reflect, and if later you see everything the same, go ahead. Nino reproduces in his imagination the voice of his father while he fantasizes about ending his route due to the pain of loss to get back on the bike. That bike he got off the same year he lost his father.
#route #loss #destined #overcome #pain