Wheelchair basketball is part of the wide range of sports and disciplines that will be contested at Santiago 2023, in both the Pan American and Parapan American Games. The National Team of that sport has already started to prepare for what will be their biggest challenge of the year.
Martina Olivos (20) is one of the most outstanding athletes on the team and recently talked with us to provide more details about the preparation of the National Team during 2023, in addition to addressing her individual sport career.
Regarding the participation of the Chilean team at Santiago 2023, the athlete from Santiago assured: “I think I can speak for all women because this is a major event. We are excited, motivated, training hard and hoping to do great. We are already mentalizing and training a lot”.
The selection process of the athletes who will represent Chile in the multisport festival in the Americas starts in March, which coincides with the start of the Wheelchair Basketball National League.
Martina was part of the first national athletes selection process before Santiago 2023. (Photo: La Pintana Municipality).
Concerning the possibility of competing as locals at the Parapan American Games, the current player of the Leones club commented: “it motivates me a lot, because it means that our family and close people will be able to see us, since we are representing Chile.”
SPORT AND PARA SPORT ORIGINS
Martina always liked sports. She participated in different disciplines during her school years, however, she dedicated more time to artistic gymnastics and cheerleading. Her life changed forever on November 17th, 2019. That day, she was involved in a car accident in the Maule Region and suffered severe spinal cord injuries that resulted in paraplegia.
While she was in recovery at the Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Pedro Aguirre Cerda in Peñalolen district, she met Daniela Zapata, an outstanding wheelchair basketball athlete and current teammate. Her relationship with Daniela allowed her to learn more about the sport she’s professionally practicing now.
Martina (first row, on the right) together with the COPACHI and Regional Government authorities in the launch of their joint plan for the Parapan American Games. (PHOTO: Santiago 2023).
Her career has been on the rise, debuting in the Chilean National Team in 2022 and consolidating in Leones, her first and only professional club so far. In addition, she has had to balance her career as a basketball player and her university studies. “I was studying Visual Arts Education, but I decided to switch my career path to become an Elementary School Teacher. It was hard at first, I tried to focus 100 % on the university, but I have been allowed to skip classes over time,” she explained.
Martina is also enthusiastic about her possible participation at Santiago 2023, not only from a competition perspective but also points to the visibility that such an event can bring to Para sports.
In that respect, the athlete commented that “this will create a space for both wheelchair basketball and disability because people tend to talk a lot more about conventional athletes rather than about Paralympic athletes.”
“I invite and encourage people to go and see something new. Wheelchair Basketball is just as rough and entertaining as conventional basketball. You’ll have a great time, and besides, we need to support local athletes,” she added.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE SPORT
The national player used this instance to make some comparisons between the male and female sport development in our country, taking into account the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8th.
Olivos added that “it is harder for women to pursue a career because we have fewer opportunities to compete. There are fewer women, therefore, less real competition. It is a small universe. I don’t think it happens only in basketball or due to a lack of women, because there are women with disabilities out there. The issue is to find, motivate, and show them that sports are not only for men.”
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