In
2009
,
Diego made a radical decision
.
With a mix of emotions, the Argentine accepted a job abroad and got to work to
embark on a trip to an unknown destination
.
What he did not imagine was that
his life would take a 180 degree turn
.
“It was difficult for me to leave my loved ones, but I took advantage of the opportunity and
my life changed completely
.
This experience exceeded my expectations and
allowed me to live what I am passionate about
,” says Diego Cabanas in an interview with
Clarín
.
The
40-year
-old man - originally from the
Province of Misiones
-
made the decision to emigrate to Canada in 2009
, with the aim of getting to know a different culture and working as a taekwondo teacher in a renowned martial arts school.
The beginning of a new life
Video
The story of Diego Cabanas, the Argentine who left his country and got a surprise in Canada.
The protagonist of this story was born in the city of Posadas, in the
Province of Misiones
.
Since he was little, he practiced many sports until
he found his favorite: martial arts
, which helped him strengthen the values and principles that he learned at home, in his words.
After finishing high school, he studied various careers, including:
Law, Nutrition and Journalism
.
Despite this,
he longed to become a taekwondo teacher
, a hobby that over the years ended up becoming his lifestyle.
The young missionary, in parallel to his studies,
was selected to represent the Argentine Taekwondo Team in a World Championship
, becoming
one of the most outstanding athletes in Misiones
.
Diego doing a photo production at his martial arts school.
Photo: Diego Cabanas.
After so much effort and dedication, in
2009
, he obtained a job offer to play the
role of taekwondo teacher at a renowned Canadian
martial arts school.
Despite this, he had no plans to change his reality.
It was like that, until a student of his - whom he trained in a personalized way -
recommended that he live the experience to specialize more in the sport
.
After that conversation, he reconsidered his decision and
realized that it was a great opportunity
, according to his words.
For this reason, he found out in depth the Canadian style and quality of life.
“In the past, I competed with great Canadian athletes, who had a very high level.
For that reason,
I felt motivated to work and learn from the best
,” the Argentine mentions with joy.
Diego enjoying his vacation in Los Angeles, United States.
Photo: Diego Cabanas.
Therefore,
he accepted the job and packed his bags to embark on a new journey
.
“My mother traveled with me to the Ezeiza International Airport, in
Buenos Aires
.
I left there with many hopes and projects, but also
with a broken heart from seeing my family cry
,” Diego expresses with emotion.
The next day, he arrived in the Canadian capital of Edmonton, in the
Province of Alberta
, in order to work full-time at a martial arts school,
for a period of two years
.
There, he acquired knowledge of the English language and
honed his skill level in the sport
.
In turn, he earned a high salary, which
allowed him to save money
.
With the intention of creating his own business and growing professionally, in
2010, he founded his own martial arts school called “Arcan”, in Ottawa, the capital of Canada
.
“It was a dream come true, we managed to achieve a very important reputation.
Thanks to the sacrifice and time dedicated to this institution, they noticed me and
hired me to be the coach of the Canadian Taekwondo Team
,” says the man.
“I have been lucky in life”
After a while, in
2013
, he had the opportunity to
represent Canada at the World Taekwondo Championships in Spain
, where
he won the bronze medal
.
The following year,
he met Lisa, the woman of his life
, who is a martial arts competitor and instructor.
She also
works for the Canadian federal government
.
The Argentine with his wife in "Arcan", his Taekwondo school in Canada.
Photo: Diego Cabanas.
Diego introduced her to his culture and Lisa adopted it.
She learned to make Argentine recipes to entertain him
.
Likewise, over the years,
they had two children: Santiago and Gaby
.
He takes his country everywhere and
keeps its customs intact
: he drinks mate every day, eats empanadas made by his wife, consumes dulce de leche and
loves to watch Argentine soccer
.
In turn,
he loves to make barbecues on Sundays to remind his family
of him, according to his words.
He considers
Canada to be his ideal destination
: a unique country, with
high growth possibilities for those who want to work
and make an effort, where the people are very kind and polite.
“If I had to choose this life again,
I would do it without hesitation
,” he says with joy.
In this country,
an average salary ranges around
approximately 3,300 Canadian dollars.
Therefore, with his high school and his wife's job, they have
no financial worries
, according to him.
Diego with his family in Canada.
Photo: Diego Cabanas.
“Although I knew that I was coming to a developed country with one of the most important economies in the world, I never imagined that, in a few years, I would have the opportunity to
start a family, learn the native language and live doing what I am passionate about
,” he says. Diego.
Currently,
he is vice-president of the Canadian Taekwondo Federation
and a martial arts instructor at his institute, which
has more than 170 students of different nationalities
.
In addition, he is dedicated to training athletes to compete at an international level.
Diego considers himself
lucky and happy to have a beautiful family and to have achieved his goals
.
Likewise, on several occasions,
he has had the opportunity to visit his loved ones in Argentina
.
And in
2019
, after a lot of effort,
he bought his first house with his wife
.
In the future, he hopes to live in his country during the summer and return to
Canada
during the Argentine winter.