RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The week of Pablo Almaguer's induction into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame for his success as the head girls track & field and cross country coach at Weslaco High School, he was asked if he ever envisioned such an honor coming his way. 
 
No was his honest answer. In fact, coaching wasn't his career goal early in life. But Almaguer knows better than most the power of choices, both good and bad, and taking the hand you're given for all it's worth. 
 
"I've never lived on a straight line. God didn't bring us to be in this world to be perfect, and I understand that. I've struggled. It hasn't been easy. Still isn't easy to this day," Almaguer said during the RGV Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 induction ceremony on June 20 at the Mission Event Center. 
 
"There were moments when I wanted to give up. Don't get me wrong – there's been a lot of great things. Would I take anything back? No. Do I regret things? Yes. But I would not take anything back," he continued. "God puts us in the places we need to be in for a reason. I'm up here for a reason. All this was given to me by God and I truly understand that. It's such a blessing. It's truly surreal." 
 
Almaguer made a name for himself as a track & field and football star at Weslaco High School in the mid 1990s. He set school records and was a regional qualifier on the track and garnered All-District and All-Rio Grande Valley honors on the gridiron. He earned a scholarship to run for legacy institution UTPA under former head coach Reid Harter and joined the squad to do hurdles and relays. 
 
Growing up, Almaguer put most of his attention on football and baseball. His athleticism and competitive drive were always evident, but his focus in the classroom was lacking. He was sidelined by academic eligibility issues most of his eighth grade year but worked to get his grades up right before the district meet. When his coaches told the boys team Almaguer was going to run on the mile relay, one teammate loudly declared in front of the squad that they didn't want him on the relay because he wasn't fast enough. 
 
Almaguer admits he cried in front of everyone hearing those words. Then, he issued a challenge. He told his coach he wanted to race that teammate, and if he won, Almaguer would compete with the relay at the district meet. If he lost, he was done. With the whole team and coaching staff watching, Almaguer handily defeated his doubter in a 400-meter race. It was one of the first moments in Almaguer's rollercoaster journey that he made a choice to turn a negative into a positive. 
 
"From that, I found out that I can do anything I put my mind to, and I used that for the rest of my life," Almaguer reminisced. 
 
Almaguer was coached by fellow RGV Sports Hall of Famer Jimmy Platt (Class of 1997) at Weslaco High. His first day of practice, he showed up in cleats because he didn't have spikes or running shoes. Almaguer started off running the 400- and 800-meter races before being turned into a 400-meter hurdler. His work ethic helped Almaguer quickly become one of the best hurdlers in the state, rising to a No. 3 ranking his senior year. 
 
His success continued in the collegiate ranks as he transitioned smoothly and captured UTPA Freshman Athlete of the Year honors in 1996 after a runner-up finish at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 400 hurdles. He couldn't compete his sophomore year due to injuries but came back strong as a junior. Almaguer was again the 400 hurdles runner-up at the conference championship meet and helped set a then-indoor program record with the 4x400-meter relay. 
 
"One of the greatest moments for me while I ran at UTPA was setting the record for the 1,600-meter relay. To this day, that moment still stays with me," Almaguer said in an interview in 2006. During his induction speech on June 20, he added, "I was fortunate to get a scholarship to UTPA and I really appreciate that program. A lot of great moments in college, great coaches, and a lot of great teammates." 


 
On May 28, 1998, Almaguer's budding track & field career abruptly came to an end as a one-car accident resulted in a broken back and a lost right leg. He has been in a wheelchair ever since. 
 
"I made a choice that day and went out with some friends and got behind the wheel while I was drinking and driving. It forever changed my life," Almaguer admits. "I've been in a wheelchair for 28 years and the only way I can describe it is imagine having to do your hardest workout every day, no rest, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It never stops. The grind never stops." 
 
When he woke up in the hospital four days after the accident and learned what happened, one of the first people Almaguer wanted to talk to was Platt, his high school coach. 
 
"The first words that came out of my mouth were, 'Coach, I messed up,'" Almaguer recalled. "I've always been taught from my coaches to be accountable for your actions, and I think that's the biggest thing I've been able to do in my life, is hold myself accountable for my wrongdoings and not blame everyone else." 
 
The next six months were the hardest of Almaguer's life as he went through intense rehab in Houston. He lost 70 pounds and most of his strength in a matter of weeks. He called the experience the toughest thing he has ever had to do and said it's still a struggle to this day, having to wake up at 3 a.m. to get himself to work by 6 a.m. 
 
Almaguer didn't let one bad decision or a few hard months bring him down. He went right back to UTPA after completing rehab to finish his degree and continued to be a part of the track & field program by lending a helping hand and giving advice to former teammates. 
 
Platt, who Almaguer called "an amazing inspiration," was one of the people who encouraged the now Hall of Fame coach to enter the profession. He initially doubted his ability to coach such a technical, physical sport from a wheelchair. But Almaguer ultimately made the choice to start out volunteering during the summer with Weslaco Track before taking his first coaching job as an assistant at PSJA North. 
 
"I never thought I'd be a coach. Then I remembered all the things I was taught, and I felt like this was the right thing to do. To give back and try to get kids to not make the same mistakes I did. To share my story. It hasn't been easy because not everybody understands it. But it really has been a blessing for me," Almaguer said. 
 
After two years at PSJA North, Almaguer returned to his alma mater as an assistant boys track & field coach. Midway through the year, a personnel change led to Almaguer being asked to take over as the head girls track & field coach. He wasn't convinced at first, admitting to doubts about whether the athletes would be tough enough to meet his expectations, but after a talk with his dad, Almaguer said yes. 
 
His first girls team more than met his expectations – they changed the standard for Weslaco girls track & field. In 2005, Almaguer's first season at the helm, Weslaco won its first-ever girls track & field district championship. He took over cross country the next season, too, and in the 20 years since, Almaguer has led the Weslaco girls track & field/cross country program to 18 total district championships, 11 area titles, one regional championship and two regional runner-up finishes. 
 
"It was big for me to instill that winning mentality, that hard-working mentality, in our program because we all know there's nothing that outdoes hard work. I told them to trust me and put in the work and good things will happen," Almaguer said. "Some of them didn't want to do it and I told them, 'Look at me. I'm in a wheelchair. If I can do this, you can do this. We'll do this together.' They were convinced. Those girls went out there and believed and they got it done. They were district champs that first year, and we went off." 
 
Those close to Almaguer believed in his potential as a coach from the start and were not surprised by the success he has fostered. One of his former coaches, John Glapa, introduced Almaguer during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and noted his ability to bring a unique perspective and story to motivate, teach and influence student-athletes. 
 
"When we talk about overcoming adversity in sports, we often mean winning a game after playing a bad half. But for Pablo, adversity was a daily mental and physical challenge when he was confined to a wheelchair from a terrible car accident," Glapa said. 
 
"He turned a wheelchair into the most commanding seat in the stadium. He had an ability to see technical flaws from a stationary position that others might have missed standing. He couldn't run laps with these athletes, but he ran every single race with them in his heart and in his mind," Glapa added. 
 
Almaguer has decided to step down from the head track & field coach position. He's choosing to spend the next chapter of life focusing on his family and health after decades of putting the sport first. 


 
His impact will remain felt and appreciated even as he changes course. Almaguer was known for producing championships and helping student-athletes reach the next level. Those who have been coached by or coached with him, though, say his legacy is about more than fast times, big marks and victories. 
 
Almaguer made his team feel like a family. He was someone young people could trust and learn from. He was tenacious, motivational, heartfelt and honest, never shying away from using his missteps to guide others down a better path. Though he didn't expect his coaching career to end with a RGV Sports Hall of Fame induction, it was certainly a fitting way to celebrate a unique and inspirational journey. 
 
"I thank the Rio Grande Valley for all the great memories," Almaguer said. "I thank the board members because I know it's a tough selection for (the Hall of Fame). I truly believe there's other people that deserve this moment. But I do know all the hard work it took to be here and what I put into this. I can go to bed knowing I did my best." 

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