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On this occasion, I had the honor of speaking with the talented Peruvian windsurfer María Belén Bazo. Bazo, 20 years old, has a gold medal in the 2018 South American Windsurfing Championship, a silver medal in the 2017 South American Windsurfing Championship and a bronze medal in the Youth Sailing World Championships in 2016.
We spoke not only about her career as a windsurfer but also about her beginnings in this sport and her goals for the Pan American Games in Lima 2019 and the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
Q. What can you tell us about your childhood?
A. My childhood was awesome. I lived outside of Lima, in Lurín, in a house with a very large garden and lots of animals. I always played outside with my siblings and we did pranks. I was a happy girl.
Since I was a little girl I was always related to sports. At 6 years old I already practiced gymnastics representing Regatas Lima club and my country and I loved it.
Q. How were your beginnings in windsurfing?
A. At the age of twelve, I practiced windsurfing for the first time at the Regatas Lima club and I loved it. I always loved the sea and nature like my dad. I was practicing surfing but when my older brother started windsurfing, I decided to try this new sport. I already had sports experience having practiced gymnastics, so I improved very fast.
A few years later I was already a national champion and after that, I was a South American champion. I kept training and improving and every time more doors opened for me. Thanks to the support of my parents and the IPD (Peruvian Institute of Sports, IPD by its initials in Spanish), I went more to training than to school and traveled more and more often to championships around the world.
Q. Why have you decided to dedicate yourself to windsurfing?
A. When I was 17 years old, I finished school and I made the decision to dedicate myself solely to Windsurfing for a year because it was my dream to get on the podium in a world championship. At the end of the year, I won the bronze medal in the Youth Sailing World Championships in New Zealand. It was there that I realized that I was capable of achieving everything that I set out to do and that I wanted to dedicate myself to Windsurfing.
Q. Has your family supported you in your decision to be a windsurfer?
A. Yes, my family has always been a very important pillar in my career as a windsurfer. My parents always instilled in me and my siblings the sport in our lives since for them it was a very good way to educate us and teach us values that will serve us forever, like discipline, dedication, sacrifice, effort and overcoming.
Now that I'm 20 years old and my life revolves around windsurfing, my parents continue to support me very much. But sometimes it's a little complicated and worrying for them to know how I'm going to cover all the expenses of my Olympic campaign. There are many expenses but thanks to all the support of the IPD, the Peruvian Sailing Federation and my sponsor Chocolisto, I am getting closer and closer to fulfilling my dream of winning an Olympic medal.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants his/her life to dedicate to Windsurfing?
A. I would like to advise you not to be afraid to take a different path, to take a risk if your passion is serious. If you try your best you can achieve everything that you propose. It doesn't matter that nobody has done it before. I was the first Peruvian to win a medal in a Youth Sailing World Championships at the Olympic level. Nobody had done it before. There is always a first time for everything. Live your dreams and live with your heart!
Q. How did you feel when you represented Peru at the Youth Olympic Games?
A. Representing my country in the Youth Olympic Games was an incredible and unforgettable experience. Now in less than a year, I will represent Peru again, but this time at the Pan American Games, one of the biggest sporting events in history and it's an incredible pride for me.
Q. What does it mean to you as a windsurfer to have trained with an Olympic champion like Marina Alabau?
A. Having the opportunity to train with the Olympic champion Marina Alabau was a unique experience that helped me improve a lot. We are good friends and she supports me whenever she can. Now we are planning some projects to re-train together in the future.
Q. Do you consider Paracas as your second home? How did you feel after obtaining the South American title in your own country?
A. Paracas is a very special place for me. It is my favorite place in the world for sailing. Winning the South American championship at home was an incredible experience. I feel very safe when I sail there because I know the beach very well.
Q. What conclusion did you draw from your performance at the World Windsurfing Championships in Denmark?
A. This championship was the highest level championship in which I have participated in my life because it was the first Olympic qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I didn't get the classification. There were only eleven places and I finished in thirteenth place.
But I qualified for the gold fleet for the first time in my life and finished in fifth place in the U21 category. In conclusion, there is still much to improve but I'm going very well and I'm showing it with my results.
Q. What are your expectations for the 2019 Pan-American Games and the 2020 Olympic Games?
A. Now I am completely focused on the Pan American Games in Lima 2019 and the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. I want to leave the name of Peru as high as possible in these two important events. I have been working on this for a long time. I want all Peruvians to be proud of me.
Huge thanks to María Belén Bazo for taking the time to talk with me. It was an honor to speak with one of the most promising Peruvian sportswomen, as well as one of the best windsurfers of this country.
You can follow María Belén Bazo on Instagram here and follow her on Facebook here.
