barbaras insights/mensajes

QUALIFYING for the OLYMPICS

Qualifying for the Olympics

The Olympics have brought many memories to my mind, which was one of the best periods of my life, when I was a swimmer.

In 1975 I qualified to go to the Olympics in Canada the following year 1976. (Mark Spitz time)

I still remember when I received that phone call. I believe it was a phone call or a telegram but I'm very sure. I really think it was a phone call where I was told that I was the only swimmer who had qualified to go to the Olympics in Canada in 1976.

My circumstances did not allow me to go at the time.

I started swimming when I was young but didn't swim competitively in a more serious way, until I was 12 years old. I used to do meets in school and Country Club etc.

Then, my mother did not know what to do with me because I was so hyperactive, and she decided to join me in a swim team.

I remember that day clearly, when I arrived at the Olympic pool that was 50 meters long and stepped into a circle of all the rest of the swimmers telling them I could beat everybody in breaststroke, a roar of laughter broke through all the swimmers.

It was my first time swimming in a 50 meters pool and I remember crying because I could not reach the other side of the pool. It was too long... I understood then what they all meant.

Soon thereafter, about 6 months later I broke my first national record of my country Guatemala in hundred meters breaststroke and then my main event became 200 m breaststroke as well.

From then on, I kept breaking the record, until I competed in Central American games (also breaking the record) and Central American and Caribbean games which is of 22 countries. One in Mexico in 1975 the other in Dominican Republic in 1977. How fun that was. It was like a mini-Olympics, except instead of 200 countries it was 22.

We shared so many things with other competitors from the different countries, songs and music and dance. Traded t-shirts and some of us, yes, fell in love.

It was really a fun time. It was worth it to train @ 4 hours a day to reach that place and go to those events and championships. Training was at 5:30 a.m. & 3:30 pm every day for several years in the Summer time, at noontime as well. I loved the water.

I remember when I went to Central American & Caribbean Games in the Dominican Republic in 1977. I was the only hope for a medal for Guatemala for swimming after several competitions. We had amazing swimmers as a Guatemalan team, among them... Angela Palmieri De Giordano, Annabella Perez De Garcia Bebush Cordon Herbert Fernandez T Corina Saenz Harald Jensen Maria McCoy, Mary Ann Harwood-Boterenbrood , Lorena Rodriguez and many others.

After swimming several hits and arriving at the eight finalists, I looked and checked at the board noticing I was in 5th place, just minimal hundreds of seconds away from a medal for the final event.

It was that close between one and the other.

The moment came, I was standing on my lane, on the left side was all the team of Guatemala, the Delegates the president of the CDAG (Confederacion Deportiva Autonoma de Guatemala) and my coach Juan Yegros (at the time) who whistled to me very strongly as I competed.

Everyone was cheering me on, in hopes that I would win a medal for Guatemala.

They're the eight of us swimming competitors from different countries stood on our lanes.

"In your marks... get set... " then suddenly my eyes looked to the right, and I saw something that devastated my heart.

Go... " - shot in the air - I jumped in the water and swam as fast as I could, I could hear a cheer like none other from my people, yet I burned out & reached 7th place.

The mind is super important in winning a race. You train your body but it's ultimately the mind that wins the race.

Because of my achievements that year, in other competitions as well, I was nominated sportswoman of the Year 1977. My swimming records lasted over 10 years.

In those days, one of my most challenging competitors was, Maria del Milagro Paris, who was very famous in Costa Rica. She won all the gold medals in Central American games, except in the two meets which was 100 and 200 breaststroke, the two medals I took away from her. She did make it to the Olympics, twice. Once in Canada and the other one in Russia. Butterfly was her main event where she placed eleventh in Butterfly.

The most beautiful moment that one can experience as a competitor is when you stand in the podium.

I remember in the Central American games in El Salvador, when my mother put the gold medal on my chest as I was standing in the podium and the flag of my country Guatemala was raised and the hymn was played.

THAT was the Golden moment. THAT is the most emotional & memorable moment. That was my favorite moment of all.

Tears from my heart rolled down my eyes as I saw that the Guatemala champion Adriana Ruano Oliva won the gold medal for Trap Shooting. The first gold medal in history for our country in the Olympics.

I can't even imagine how she felt when she was standing on the podium receiving her gold medal and the Guatemalan flag was being raised as our hymn was playing. What a magical moment. WOW!

What an achievement and accomplishment. We are all so proud of her and of all the Guatemalan competitors, including Jeane Pierre Brol who got a bronze medal... Many Congratulations!

Here are some newspaper clips and a couple photos from my time when I was a swimmer and a cheer we learned from our friends in Cuba... many moons ago...

Oye, oye, a la hurra ra , la hurra ra, a la bombo chíe chíe chíe, a la bombo chíe chíe cha, a la bombo chíe chíe chíe, a la bombo chie chie cha...GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA RA RA RA

Here is to sports and to what sports can do for the world! Enjoy the Olympics and do sports... any sport...

All reactions

Guatemalan Swim team on our way to

Central American & Caribbean Games

Nominated Sports woman of the Year 1977. I was given a ceremony and a plate by the then President of Guatemala Romeo Lucas. I think I even danced with him. I can't remember.