Female Pride
Interesting...
One of the neighbors is having a party... big party. Live band, loud speakers, the music is Tejano non-stop, which doesn't sound too bad, but... it is past 11:40pm. I thought that inside the city parties had to quiet down by 10:00 pm, especially since it's Wednesday and we all have to go to work tomorrow morning and kids have to get up early to go to school.
Oh wells. It's a first for the block so we can get over it.
And on to better news, the Olympics picked up for the Mexican viewers. Two silver medals on consecutive days. The first one came yesterday on the 400 meter dash by Ana Gabriela Guevara, the first athlete in Mexican history to ever make the podium in a speed test. The second silver medal came today by Belem Guerrero Mendez in the Cycling points race, also making history in this sport for our people.
Now some may say: "Only 2 medals? Our country has *enter a tremendously large number of medals here*." Yes, 2 silver medals and we are extremely happy and grateful to these 2 ladies for making it possible. Mexico is a 'Futbol' country... all the big bucks go to soccer: Men Soccer. Not even the girls' soccer is fully supported (so when they made it to quarter finals we were extremely satisfied as well... since after all, the men got eliminated in the first round). These ladies have sweated and cried in blood to get to where they are because in my country (and many of my friends that come from developing countries, aka 3rd World Countries, may know this as well) there simply isn't a good organization for athletes. Athletes don't get 'discovered' in high school or college. Heck, a runner, swimmer, players, etc can go and say "Hey, I'm good, look, I was rated number one in my school. Please sponsor me. Let me use facilities. Help me get equipment." and our athletic commission says "You good? Heh. Go to Europe and win some medals... prove to us you are really worthy and then maybe we'll give you something."
Riiiight. How is the athlete supposed to do this when he or she is poor. When the athlete lives off cooking tacos at a restaurant, or selling newspaper on the streets? So we have these extraordinary people working around the clock and training on their own whenever time allows with no professional couch by their side.
It's hard on our countries. Much applause for the ladies from Afghanistan. Did you know that their stadium was used for shootings and that they trained in between killings? That the soldiers (who always were looking over them with their rifles on hand) around them cursed at them while screaming, "If I were their brother I would kill them for doing such things." Kenya runners... my mother says they are such nice people. She has run side-by-side with them when they come to the marathons in our cities. She says that they always come wearing the same shirts, the same shorts... that the money they win from the competitions is the money they use to buy their plane tickets so that they may make it to another country and compete there again. These athletes all live day-by-day... the money goes from hand-to-mouth.
That is how the majority of the Mexican athletes are as well. Poor people with a great gift... a gift that goes unexploited because although they are good the monetary aid to help them become great is simply not always there.
Ana Guevara enjoying her 2nd place win after the 400 meter dash; Athens, Olympics 2004
Congratulations ladies. I cried while watching you while my chest filled with pride because 2 of our women took it onto themselves to prove to the Directors and committees that it could be done although everyone told you that you weren't worth the help.
Belem Guerrero showing off her Silver Medal; Athens, Olympics 2004
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