Houston – Inside Ryde, a premium cycling studio in Houston, Gustavo Handam is known for his high-energy classes, filled with music, movement, and motivation.
But behind that joy is a past shaped by hardship in Venezuela.
Recommended Videos
“I was born in Venezuela, in Caracas,” Handam said. “And when I was around 18, things got really bad. There was no food. We had to wait in long lines just to buy bread or chicken.”
Handam recalls fonder memories in his earlier childhood. He said he was mostly raised by his father and grandparents. But said the country started to face hardship around 2014.
“The government got really, really insecure,” said Handam. “A lot of protests with students. My dad had a bulletproof car.”
Handam said he noticed the value of currency started going down and he moved to Miami to be with his mother in 2017.
“You start thinking, where’s my future?” said Handam.
Since 2018, Handam has lived in Houston.
Now living in Houston, Handam has built a life as a fitness instructor full time — a career he says allows him to share positivity and community, even as much of his family remains in Venezuela.
When news broke that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured, Handam said he felt something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
He acknowledges the situation remains complex and uncertain, but says the moment brought a sense of possibility.
“I have faith,” said Handam.“Now we’re closer to being free."
Handam said he hopes one day to return to Venezuela and see meaningful change.