Julio grew up in a small beach town in Ecuador. He discovered surfing when he was 8 years old because an American tourist visited the beach one day and taught him and his friends how to catch some waves on a body board. At the end of his vacation, the American gifted his board to Julio, which sparked his passion for water sports.

When he was 12 years old, his family moved house to a city which was very popular for surfing and that is when he began competing. Up until he was 14 years old Julio was competing in and winning some local bodyboard competitions. Julio then started surfing on a shortboard instead, achieving both national and international titles. In 2015, Julio started Stand Up Paddling and has been competing since 2018, including in the APP World Tour.