Daniel Carmona-Pinheiro is an inspiring athlete with a promising future filled with endless opportunities. The eighth grader at SSG Manuel R. Puentes Middle School is determined to bring home the gold at this year’s 37th annual Socorro Independent School District Spring Games, held in memory of James P. Butler.
Since his first race in first grade, Daniel, who is on the autism spectrum, has become more involved in athletics, boosting his confidence, enhancing his social skills and strengthening his resolve.
As he prepares to compete in the Spring Games’ track and field events on March 27 and run track for the Puentes’ Bobcats this spring, Daniel is also gearing up to compete at the 2025 AAU Taekwondo National Championships in July in Salt Lake City.
“I’m superfast,” Daniel said. “I like the gold medals.”
In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, Daniel was selected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting in March 2025.
Daniel will join 1,200 talented student-athletes competing in the Spring Games, where students with special needs from elementary, middle, and high schools across the district will showcase their athletic abilities in 270 track and field events at the Student Activities Complex.
The last time Daniel ran in the Spring Games was in 2023, and he is eager to return to the track to run the 200-meter dash and be the anchor for his school’s team in the relay race.
With his parents, Louise Pinheiro and Rafael Carmona, cheering from the stands, Daniel is ready to give it his best shot.
Carmona said that in the last eight years, Daniel has only missed two Spring Games, and each time he has competed he has secured either first or second place.
“I think for him it means that he can in a way socialize with other kids,” Carmona said. “He’s very competitive and that that pushes him to want to go and do these type of things.”
Carmona said Daniel has struggled with motor skills, yet running has enhanced his ability to control his movements and improved his balance. Additionally, Taekwondo has allowed Daniel to become more focused and disciplined, skills he has applied not only to sports but also at home and in school.
Daniel, who holds an orange belt in Taekwondo, won a gold medal at the 2025 USATKD Arizona State Championships in February and will be advancing to the national championships in Utah. Before that, he plans to compete in the 2025 AAU Taekwondo Region 10 Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on April 12.
“He’s a superstar,” said Wanona Hendrix, Special Education Secondary Practical Academics Skills (PAS) teacher. “He definitely loves Taekwondo, but also in the classroom, he’s the first to offer help if anybody needs help. In my classroom, my kids all have jobs, and if a student is out, he’s the first one to volunteer to do their job. He has a really big heart.”
However, it is not just Daniel’s athletic abilities that have thrived. In just one year, he progressed from reading at a kindergarten level to a third-grade level with the help of a tutor. Additionally, he volunteers once a month at the school with the El Paso Food Bank, where he helps pack groceries and develop valuable job skills.
Daniel and his PAS classmates also attend a regular science class each month, where they conduct experiments and interact with the rest of the student body. Recently, they cleaned debris from a fish tank to learn about water pollution. Afterward, they visited El Paso Water’s TecH2O Learning Center to learn more about water conservation. Last year, as a member of the school’s cross-country team, his teammates made sure he stayed safe and hydrated during practices and events.
Daniel’s parents attribute much of their son’s success to his caring teachers, particularly Hendrix, as well as the staff and administrators at Puentes Middle School.
Carmona said he appreciated Daniel’s teachers taking the time to get to know Daniel and identify his interests to provide him with a supportive learning environment.
“What I learned with my son, and I see with other kids with autism, is if you surround them with people that care and that look for their interests, then you can try to make them follow the program,” Carmona said.
Pinherio said her son does not allow his disability or recent diabetes diagnosis to hold him back. While their journey has been filled with challenges, she emphasized that with the right support children with autism can build new skills and reach their full potential.
“When we think about autism, (people) think that the kid is super smart, or they think that they’re not able to do a lot of stuff. Kids can do all the stuff that they are supposed to, and Daniel is a huge, huge example of that. With a lot of help, like from his teachers, he got better.”