Peru’s number one racket, Daniela Macias Brandes, practices sports from a very young age and thanks to the tradition and support of her family she has made sport a lifestyle. She has had to make sacrifices necessary to achieve her goals and today she is focused on qualifying for her first Olympic Games.
It has been several years since Daniela started in badminton and could certainly get good results for her country. She has participated at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 and has won several crowns in her sports career. This year, she is focused on the Olympic dream, but without neglecting the contribution she can make to badminton in her country.
“My goal now is to qualify to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, mainly, and that’s what I’m focused on. Also, I would like badminton to develop much more in my country. Each time, the Federation is doing more academies so that badminton grows and not only in Lima, but in other cities of the country, and I would like to contribute to it as well. ”
“I think that all athletes make sacrifices to get what we want. From very simple things, such as waking up very early to train, then running to college, and in the afternoon returning to training until night, and arriving home late, to eat, bathe, study and sleep as early as possible for the next day to repeat the same routine. All that implies a very high rate that fatigue and I have always liked to do things well. So I try hard to study, and I like train super well every day.”
The sacrifices are part of the life of an athlete, having to prioritize what each one wants to achieve, even leaving aside friends and family.
“It is always difficult not to be able to be in meetings with friends or family birthdays. For example, now my family is attending a relative’s wedding and I cannot go because I am in a championship and next week I have another championship. All those things are big sacrifices because they are your family, and those are things that you make for the commitment you have with the sport. I make all those sacrifices since I started this.”
Badminton, and sport in general, contributes greatly to the integral development of each person. The opportunity to practice it and to make sport a habit allows people to learn different things that they can apply in various areas of their lives.
“I think that sport is something very important in the life of each person. Many people do not see it that way, but sport teaches a lot to each one. It prepares you for things that you will face in life. To me badminton taught to be very responsible. Fair play in sports and teamwork are things you can include in other areas of your life, such as work or studies, and that not many people have the opportunity to learn elsewhere.”
Daniela, with extensive knowledge in the field, recommends getting involved in sports because even though you have to make sacrifices to achieve your goals, the benefits that sport brings to the life of each person are very good.
“I think it is super good that a woman enters the sport in any function, as a manager, coach or athlete. The sport has also taught me to be persevering, that nothing is easily achieved and if you want to achieve something you will have to leave everything to be able to achieve it. And the benefits that sport can give you, despite those sacrifices, are tremendously good.”
Photo Credit: BPAC
