Today I bring you a very special athlete for me. Saleta was the reason why I continued running and didn't give up athletics when I was nine years old. I heard my coach talk about her when I was still starting out and she was my first reference in the sporting world. Having the opportunity to meet her at a time when I was very hesitant about pursuing running was a turning point and opened the door to a world as important to me as athletics. I couldn't be more grateful. So here is one of our best Galician athletes, nationally and internationally, Saleta Fernandez.
- When did you start doing athletics and why?
I started to do athletics when I was at school, in the fourth grade more or less, due to the arrival of a teacher who was passionate about athletics. He started to spread that passion and created the club and I started there, running popular races and crosses. Then we moved on to track, I also did a little bit of everything, but then, after a few years, I specialized in high jump.
- What is the best memory you have related to sport?
The best memory I have, well, I have many, but perhaps the two best are: my first absolute medal, because it was silver and I shared the podium with Ruth and it was the year I started training with her and for me to share it with her was, truth be told, very special; and also my first international in the junior category in Utretch, that was where I decided to bet more on athletics because that was in 2013 and before let's say that I did athletics a little to play two hours a week or so, and then I went to Pontevedra.
- What is your next sporting goal?
Well, I have a few short term goals and then of course in the long term. The short term ones this year are to win both nationals, both indoor and outdoor, and to go to the national team championship with the absolute national team.
- What has been the hardest part of training during the pandemic?
Well now, training during the pandemic is going quite well, of course with security measures, we have to train in smaller groups but let's say we can train almost normally, the most complicated is the issue of competitions, finding where to compete, because many places are not organizing, where they organize do not let people from out of town compete, so it is being a bit chaotic in that aspect.
- What was the weirdest or funniest thing that happened to you during a competition or training?
Well, the truth is that I don't think that many strange things happened to me.... Yes I had many funny falls and all that, but I don't think it was weird.... Once I was mistaken for Ruth Beitia when some little kids were training and, in competition, what shocked me the most was once, it was the first time I was going to compete in a Spanish championship, and I didn't have high jump spikes, because I had just started high jumping. Then I had a problem with a judge in the call room who started to tell me "but how are you going to jump with this...", the truth and it was weird, and I remember leaving the track almost crying because, of course, I was a little girl, I was a first-year cadet.
- What advice would you give to the newer athletes who are starting with athletics?
Perhaps what many of us say, that the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. I realized a little late, rather when I arrived here in Santander, Ruth told me, the importance of going down every day to train with a smile on my face, to do what I like,to enjoy this training and not create that pressure of thinking a lot about performing or obtaining something, but more about enjoying the journey.
I hope you liked it.
A hug and see you soon!
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