Takeaways and Advice from a Young Female Swimmer Who Recently Represented Puerto Rico

Mariana Burgos Guilfú is a prominent 13-year-old athlete. The young athlete is a member of the National Swimming Team who recently (August 13 to 19, 2023) represented Puerto Rico at the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Championships (CCCAN) in San Salvador, El Salvador.

In addition to the excitement of representing Puerto Rico, she shares some advice and takeaways in this blog interview.

Dr. Rivera-Mariani - What do you take from this experience of representing Puerto Rico in El Salvador?

Mariana: From El Salvador, I came away with new friendships, more learning, better times, and a good experience of representing Puerto Rico for the second time.

Dr. Rivera-Mariani - Among the unexpected events during the trip and representing Puerto Rico in El Salvador, which one can you say had the most positive impact on you?

Mariana: Among all the unexpected events, what impacted me the most was that on the last day, I swam the 200 backstroke, and it was where I dropped the most time and felt the best while swimming. It surprised me a lot because I had yet to drop that many seconds in the previous days, and I had even posted some slower times.

Dr. Rivera-Mariani - What advice would you give young people aspiring to participate in organized sports?

Mariana: Some of the best advice I could give to young people participating in organized sports would be to have fun, enjoy the sport, find the passion they have for it, practice because dedication will improve their performance, always maintain a positive mindset to achieve their goals and learn from mistakes. Lastly, and one of the most important pieces of advice, would be to work as a team and communicate with their teammates because their team gradually becomes a part of their family.

Dr. Rivera-Mariani: What advice would you give to parents of young people aspiring to participate in organized sports?

Mariana: To all those parents, they should support and encourage their children, not put too much pressure on them so that they can enjoy their sport without any worries. They should remember that the most important thing is for their children to develop but, above all, to have fun.

On behalf of the Mariana, the Burgos-Guilfú family, and myself, thanks to all who were able to contribute to the funding campaign #TeamMariana.

Feel free to share, with current and prospective young athletes, Mariana’s takeaways and advice!

Cheers to promoting and supporting opportunities that foment diversity, equity, and inclusion among aspiring young athletes!