Three years of constant training, combined with her own efforts and those of her parents in teamwork with her entire family, Guadalupe Arana, a girl of only 11 years old, managed to bring a gold medal to Huancayo in the U12 category of 1 km of race walking at the “IV La Victoria Festival” held in the city of Lima.
Guadalupe’s family supports her sports career by selling ice cream and lollipops outside some educational institutions. They have called on private companies and authorities to support the sport.
Guadalupe, you are quite small but you have already given us a gold medal. Since what age do you start practicing this sport?
I started 3 years ago, when I was only 8. I started just running and when I saw other friends doing race walking I really liked it. Race walking is an art for me, it is beautiful and unique.
Apart from being an athlete, you are also a student. What is your daily life like?
I wake up early to study until 1:00 pm, when I leave I help sell ice cream to my dad outside the school, then we come home to have lunch and we leave quickly to go sell at another school. Finally we return home to rest for about 20 minutes and then we go out to train. Sport is part of my life now.
Was it easy for you to adapt to this routine since you entered the sport?
It wasn’t easy. More than anything, it was adapting to physical activity, because when I did mileage the next day I woke up in pain, but little by little I adapted and now I train regularly. My dad is my coach and he is always with me.
Is this the first national tournament you have participated in?
No. I have already participated in 5 national tournaments, winning 4 gold medals. I decided to participate in this last tournament because I felt confident in myself and my preparation. I am very happy because we won gold thanks to our efforts and thanks to my dad, who plays the role of father and coach at the same time.
What was your experience in this tournament?
I was very happy. At first I was a little nervous, but then I relaxed. I really liked it because I got to see Evelyn Inga.
Evelyn achieved great things at the Olympics, is she someone you admire?
Evelyn Inga and Kimberly Garcia, I admire them both very much, they are the role models to follow. Evelyn once told me that this is a long road ahead and that I must continue to advance little by little.
Today (yesterday) you had an exciting welcome at school, what do your classmates and teachers say to you?
My classmates are happy and my teachers are proud to have an outstanding athlete, because there are not many athletes my age in Huancayo.
Guadalupe, to whom do you dedicate your medals?
To my parents. I dedicate this last one to my dad, because he took on the difficult task of being a father and a coach at the same time. He learned everything about race walking just to help me and teach me. Every time we need to travel to tournaments or if I need some clothing, he manages to get it for me.
The support you have from them is important, what do you want to tell your parents?
My thanks. I want to thank them because they are always with me and support me, they always follow my competitions and have words of encouragement. When I lose, they help me and tell me that I am in the process, that I should not give up and that I always gain experience even if I don’t win a medal.
What are your future goals?
In terms of sports, I want to be like Evelyn and Kimberly, I want to become a world and Olympic champion. And personally, I would really like to be a physical education teacher.
Are you going to take a break or are you going to continue with your preparation?
We’re going to have a week off due to physical exhaustion, but then I’ll start training again. There are other competitions in November and I want to prepare for that, there are also many objectives and goals for next year and I want to be prepared.
Do you have any message for those children or teenagers who want to join the sport?
Yes, sport is healthy. Get involved in some discipline and if you are already an athlete, anything can happen in competitions. If you don’t manage to win, take it as part of the process. You gain experience with each participation and that counts for a lot.
Would you like to appeal to authorities or private companies for support?
The government should help children, there is a lot of talent for sport in the villages and the authorities should pay attention to that. There are many children with a lot of potential, but unfortunately the authorities do not pay attention to them or support them.
