Esther Pedrosa is a 57 years old athlete from Santiago de Compostela (Galicia,Spain), a referent during decades in the compostelan female sports. In 1987 she won the Spanish Championship of Long Distance, and since there she kept on winning competitions and getting new world awards on her category.
Esther is an elite sportswoman, personal trainer, Technician at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in conclusion, a successful professional which finds time enough to contribute to local politics.
This frantic and fruitful, professional and sportive career was perfectly compatible with her role as a mother, and what is more, her daughter Raquel Suárez Pedrosa is nowadays following her steps.
She is an inspiring woman, and we are lucky she shares her experiences with us today.
Paula Rivela: When did you begin to be interested in sports?
Esther Pedrosa: Well…when I was a fourteen years old girl, my physical education teacher suggested I was skilled for hurdies… and if I wanted to try…it was then.
Paula: Did you choose Athlestism or were you chosen by it?
Esther: I think Athlestism selected me, even if I practised other sports, I have always been someone who liked to play with other kids, I definitely consider that athletism called me.
Paula: How is it possible to become an elite sportswoman?
Esther: When I was a child I trained in an Athletics School, where I got some important values that helped me to surpass myself. I wanted to get more and more complicated goals until I became a Professional athlete.
Paula: Reviewing your biografy, I realised your sportive successes came after you became mother, do you think it is possible to be mother, professional and high level sportswoman at the same time?
Esther: I became mother when I was nineteen and I remember I felt I had to choose between being mother or keep on with my promising sports career. It was a difficult election but I chose Athletism, even if I had to carry my daughter with me when training, there weren’t kindergarten at that time…but when you want something you fight for it and you can finally get it.
Paula: You retired from high competition in 2010, why did you decide to come back?
Esther: At that time, my daugther was studying Geology at Oviedo Universtiy, I decided to stop competing, as I needed to rest after so much time. When my daughter came back, there was nobody training her and I decided to begin to train with her and slowly found myself at the top again.
Paula: You are now getting new titles as a Master athlete, which is the last one?
Esther: I’ve just been to Toruń, in Poland, where I have gained three silver medals on 1500, 3000 and cross modalities; I have the second world classification in 1500 and I am training to get the best world position, but it’s really hard to get as you are never sure about how can it be going with injuries.
Paula: Apart from this, can you tell us about your amazing professional career?
Esther: I am technician at the Sports Services of the University of Santiago de Compostela, where I currently act as competitions coordinator and I also manage the network of the Sports Department. In addition, I am candidate for Mayor at Santiago de Compostela in the next elections.
Paula: How is it possible to stand out in so many fields?
Esther: It’s a matter of organization and priorities, but the main thing is to be motivated to get your purposes..the body copes
Paula: Just to finish… what would you recommend to our readers, faced in this period to the motherhood challenges?
Esther: Being mother is perfectly compatible whith any kind of physical activity, it’s not an illness, we can combine work and sports, and even enjoy our children. I think it’s very rewarding not only looking after our children, but doing other different things, not only focusing on them, because children grow up and leave us,… as well because it’s a very good model for them seeing how their mother progress in an specific area.
Paula Rivela: Thank you very much Esther, it’s always a great pleasure to hearing from you.
Author: Paula Rivela