Enrique's Story

“As a born Mexican I was drawn to the work of World Villages for Children and particularly Father Al’s mission in Mexico. I was profoundly moved when I had the chance to visit La Villa de las Niñas in Chalco for the first time back in 1999. I was impressed by the professional and caring outlook of the Sisters, the discipline of the girls and the educational institution they had created. It was my first experience to witness the work of a charity, physically seeing how every penny of every donation is wisely spent in a good cause, and in a very efficient fashion.

It was also a humbling experience to be received like a great friend, just because of my random and modest contributions. Thus, when life gave me the opportunity to undertake major feats of sporting endurance like running marathons, or swimming the English Channel in 2007, I did not hesitate to dedicate their charity appeal to the Sisters and World Villages for Children. I am proud to be somehow associated with their endeavours.”

Enrique decided to use his passion for challenges like open water swimming and mountain climbing to raise awareness and funds to support the Sisters’ work, especially after seeing the impact of their work in Mexico, his home country.

Through many events over the past years,  including English Channel swimming and marathons, Enrique has taken the opportunity to spread the word about the life-changing work of the Sisters of Mary and gather support through donations to ensure more poor children can access a free quality education.

In November 2025, Enrique will take on his biggest challenge yet by swimming ‘El Reto Acapulco’ – a 22 km marathon swim around Acapulco Bay.