His face is probably familiar to you, if you have been to any of the Tarzanes volleyball games for the past two seasons. Yes, he is the dude that waves the Colegio flag all over the Mangual to cheer up the crowd. His presence at the court has proven vital to maintain the crowd’s morale up during the rough patches of the game. He is a natural-born leader; he screams Colegio and everybody follows. Yet, José Gabriel Lebrón Zapata, known in Twitter as ‘el gordito de maya’ is so much more than just trending topic during the games.
The 21 year-old Trujillo Alto Native is passionate about everything: politics, science, the perks of being a colegial, and the knowledge you acquire when you are open-minded and live without prejudice. Being bullied growing up for his physical appearance helped him overcome the chains of people’s opinion on him. Once he focused on being himself, his life found a 180 degree turn. “I had to give up a friend that was holding me down. It hurt me then and it still hurts me, because it is hard to let go someone you love, but sometimes it is for the best.” he recalls about one of the many adjustments de had to make in order to leave behind everything that was holding him down in order to shine.
He never expected to become a sports celebrity at our beloved Colegio, in fact, he is not even that much into sports. It all began when a friend of his, Christian Pellicer, the Tarzanes #10, invited him to one of the games. “I didn’t do it on purpose, I just let myself go as the excitement kicked in.” Ever since, he is a necessary asset every time the Tarzanes set foot on the court. Thanks to him, the volleyball’s Tarzanes have by far the greatest fanbase in the whole LAI.
Despite his fame, he doesn’t aspire to be remembered as a cheerleader, but rather as a person that made a difference in the life of others. He has been through hard times, and wishes to help others that might be going through the same situations he has lived, “I have found myself with nothing on my fridge. Sometimes you have to choose between putting gas on the car or having dinner. Not many people talk about this because they find it embarrassing, but this situation is real for many students.” he adressed.
Currently on his fourth year of study in geology, he aspires to become a meteorologist. “Meteorology determines everything, from what you wear, to how your house is built, and even human behavior. When natural disasters strike in, we are able to see the best side of humanity. People unite in solidarity despite their differences, remembering that we are, after all, one kind. That is what I find the most inspiring about meteorology.” says about his fondness for this unusual, but interesting career choice.
If he could point out his greatest attribute it would be his honestly. “This is my best tool, but also my most lethal weapon, because it has gained me both friends and enemies.” he recalls. His unapologetic ways has helped him stand out professionally, as he is very determined and whenever he wants something he goes and get it. “Except when it comes to girls…on that department ¡me hago un ocho!” we laughed.