Name: Ashley Montre
Country: Chile
Modality: Singles and Doubles
At what age did you start in Badminton?
“I met badminton at age 12, at school. I did not like it, but the teacher invited me to train and I accepted because I wanted to have fun practicing something new. I used to play soccer and it was a big change, but little by little I started to like badminton and now I like it more and more.”
When did you say: yes, I will dedicate myself to badminton?
“When I was included in the national team and I started to do very well in the championships, I said: ok, I’m going to dedicate 100 percent to badminton, because I can.”
Which is your biggest dream?
“My dream is to go as far as possible: Olympic Games.”
What is the best that badminton has given you?
“I am very happy with the results I have had and I have arrived super far thanks to badminton, I have been able to know many countries thanks to this.”
Do you perform other activities in parallel to you career as a Badminton player, such as studies or work?
“I finished my studies and next year I will enter university and I will have to complement my time between training and studies.”
Which are your goals for this year?
“For this year my goal is to have good results at the Pan American Games, if it is possible to obtain a medal, but ensure a good performance.”
Which is the hardest thing about being a high performance athlete?
“I think that the most difficult thing is to be away from the family. We train in Santiago and I am not from Santiago so I see my family every 6 months but for a very short time. With badminton I sacrificed too much because I could not have a childhood like everyone else: play with my friends instead of training. So that’s the hardest part, being away from my family and my friends.”
Which do you prefer?
– Olympic Games or World Championships? “Olympic Games”
– Winter or Summer? “Winter”
– Sweet or salt? “Salt”
– Badminton player? “Carolina Marin”
What message would you give to young people who are just starting to practice badminton?
“I would tell them not to let other people tell them that they can not achieve what they set out to do. Actually, it depends on each one, on how you want to do things and how much effort you put into it. Do not get discouraged, if you want, you can.”
