Julio Cepeda

When Julio Cepeda was 15-years-old he had the misfortune to lose four of his toes in an accident whilst working in a furniture factory. Despite this, Cepeda went on to become a noted cyclist in his native Mexico. In 1952 he won two stages of the Vuelta y Ruta de Mexico to earn himself a place on the Olympic team for the Helsinki Games. Two years later he also competed at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico City.

In 1954 Cepeda opened a small bicycle workshop in the city of Monterrey. Eventually the business expanded to become Julio Cepeda Toys, with it going on to have more than 60 branches across 22 states in Mexico.