The Olympics may be over, but Special Olympics happen all the time–and that’s good news for 16-year-old athlete David Rodriguez, who loves to compete. For this week’s sabiduría, or words of wisdom, we hear from David and his mother Mercedes Maldonado about the joys of winning, and why Lionel Messi is an inspiration.

David Rodriguez is a 9th Grader from Grand Prairie, Texas. He regularly competes in the Special Olympics Texas in soccer, basketball, track and field and bowling. His favorite soccer player is Lionel Messi.

Photo by Odd Andersen AFP/Getty Images.