Winter Olimpic Games
Colombian dreams with Winter Olympic glory
By Jay Ramirez Monday, February 27, 2012
My name is Jay Ramirez and I am a 26 year old speed skater who was born in Colombia, moved to the UK when I was 12 and spent the past 14 years living there, studying, ice skating and then managing various fashion stores in London and Oxford. But in the past year I have made a rather major life change and am now living and training in Utrecht in an attempt to become the first Colombian born athlete to compete in the Winter Olympic Games when they are next held in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
You can watch Jay’s video
Although I have joint nationality and have spent my entire adult life in the UK I am still very close to my Colombian family and go back regularly and thought that it would be a great ambition to try and represent them if I am fortunate enough to get through the training and reach the qualifying times.
I have an excellent coach, Wim Nieuwenhuizen, who has trained and developed national, Olympic and World champions and am devoting the next 27 months to trying to achieve my goal. I am also keen to try and show that just because a sport is not traditional in any given country is no reason for people not to try and do well in it - and the same goes for many other areas of life.
Unfortunately there are no long track speed skating rinks in the UK or Colombia which is why, after a spell in Germany, I am now in Holland.
I was wondering if you you may be interested in my story or in linking to my short video on you website?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UthUex8Ztw&feature=related
Biography
Born in Anserma in 1985 Jay Ramirez is a 26 year old speed skater who has lived in the UK for the past 14 years but recently re-located to Utrecht in the Netherlands where he is training and competing in order to pursue his dream of becoming the first Colombian born athlete ever to take part in the Winter Olympic Games.
Jay made the difficult decision to leave behind his family, friends and career so that he can devote himself to training and competing ahead of the 2014 Games in Russia having been inspired by the excitement generated by everything surrounding London 2012 and from watching the last Winter Games on television in 2010.
He first pulled on a pair of roller skates when he was just 5 years old and moved to London with his family in 1998 aged 12 and began ice skating at the Queensway club that same year. While at school he skated every day throughout his teens and his coaches included former world champion Penny Booth and former British champion Clive Shorten.
Jay took part in many local competitions, Christmas and fashion shows but the demands of his career has meant that in recent years he has been unable to skate as often as he would like and he was advised to switch to the sport of speed skating as that is better suited to his physique and skills.
Because there are no long track speed skating facilities in the UK he has decided to relocate to Holland so that he can train with his coach Wim Nieuwenhuizen who has trained a number of skaters to National, World and Olympic success including the double 2002 Olympic champion Jochem Uytdehaage and the double 2008 World champion Paulien van Deutekom.
Jay was one of the youngest managers in the UK for the All Saints clothing outlet in London’s prestigious Selfridges store (2005-2007) where he was also responsible for launching several additional retail sites in Harrods, Kingston and Ibiza before moving to Oxford to develop and manage the main city branch of the Office shoe brand (2007-2011).
Jay previously completed a Foundation in art and design at the prestigious Central St Martin’s and was made Head Boy at his school, St George’s in North London by Lady Stubbs when she was brought in to revive the failing establishment, as featured in the movie Ahead of the Class which stared Julie Walters.
He has been a motivational speaker for Common Purpose and recently worked as costume consultant and stylist on a feature film shot in Switzerland, The Hour of Living, and has just finished translating another new British feature film, Round Ireland with a Fridge, into Spanish.
He speaks fluent English and Spanish with a good working knowledge of Italian and is now taking Dutch lessons, is passionate about art, photography, theatre and many sports including tennis, but most of all Jay is devoted to ice skating which is why he has taken the life changing decision to move to a new country purely to try and achieve his long term ambitions and goals within the sport of long track speed skating.
Jay is being supporting in his challenge by several in the British-Colombian community including the Ambassador to London, Mauricio Rodriguez, and his team and his unusual story has led to him recently being featured and interviewed on BBC TV, profiled in the Daily Telegraph and Colombia Reports and selected by Don Juan Magazine as one of their top 100 Colombian men of 2011.
He is very fortunate in having the backing of so many family and friends in both of the countries that he has grown up in but, having made several long visits back to Colombia in recent years Jay is especially motivated by the potential opportunity to become the first Colombian born athlete ever to proudly represent his country at the Winter Olympic Games. He is relishing the challenges of the next 26 months of solid training as he attempts to reach that goal and, hopefully, encourage and inspire other young Colombians to do the same in future years.
(0) Reader Feedback |
Email Article | 
Email Us | 
Print friendly
| Jay Ramirez Most recent columns
Jay Ramirez a 26 year old speed skater who was born in Colombia, moved to the UK. ...His dream is to becoming the first Colombian born athlete ever to take part in the Winter Olympic Games.
|
