The Olympic Charter quotes that, by connecting sport with culture and training, Olympism aims to create a lifestyle based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal principles of ethics. And in Munichwhere Olympism landed in 1972 to correct the effects of Second World Waris celebrated fifty years later about ‘Eurogames’ remember that after several years complicated by the pandemic, life goes on. And one of the heroes of these games is Irati Mitxelena (Donostia, 1998). Can’t stop smiling. He is happy to fulfill a dream that is more than a simple goal. “Being in this European is confirmation that training and research is possible”, he said excitedly. Mitxelena is participating as a long jumper in her first full European Championship and combines her life as an athlete with that of a neuroscientific researcher. Success came at the age of 24 after a lifetime of sacrifices that he assured were “worth it.”
Long is a world of constant concentration where visualization of the jump you want to make is key. It is very important to calculate the heel -the approach to run- very precisely to catch the board without missing any centimeter, the perfect take off. A race of about fifty meters, progressive, with very high knees, driving very well to achieve the optimal top speed. The final impact of the foot on the ground before takeoff can be up to nine times the athlete’s weight. And, after the flight, you need to insert the heel of the sand, bend your knees and put your hips forward. “And we only had three chances to do it,” recalled Irati, highlighting the difficulty of reaching a continental final.
And on one side of the stand his coach was always waiting, asier san sebastian, who in his advice asks him to forget about the world to focus on his next jump to continue improving. But he never forgets. “There are still many things in life that we don’t know and something needs to be done,” he said. “When I was young I always heard about Alzheimer’s and I was very surprised when I learned about this disease that I always dreamed of finding a cure for. We all know someone who has suffered or has a relative who suffers from this disease. Many people suffer from this and have a very bad time. My goal in life is to try to help them or heal them and that’s why I decided to devote myself to neuroscience”, says Mitxelena, about her decision to study a rare but increasingly current career. “If the more people investigate and help, the sooner this will be achieved.”
His good results on the track allowed him to get a scholarship to study at University of Cincinnati (United States). “I was very clear that if I wanted to go far in the field of neuroscience, I needed to go to the most advanced countries and learn from the best researchers,” he said. “I believe you have to be ambitious in everything you do,” he underlines as his motto. Mitxelena graduated from psychology and neuroscience without stopping her studies and performs in track at the prestigious NCAA -United States University Championship-.
And he did it with a Magna cum laude grade for his excellence. “Combining athletics and studies is possible, but it takes a lot of effort and they don’t give you anything for free. They make it easy for you to change the date of some exams, but you have to do them too. I was under a lot of pressure, because if I didn’t get good grades, they would take my scholarship to compete. And if he doesn’t compete at the required level, the same. Just because they give you facilities doesn’t mean it’s easy,” he explained. Irati to dismantle some myths that sound when talking about university sports. His perseverance has brought him to the top of athletics and to compete with the best in the world, but he still has the biggest goal, the Paris 2024 Games.
“We have two years ahead of us to continue improving and we are on the right track. After being here in Munich it is time to believe it”, he said. “Yes, I will not park my life as a researcher and I will continue this integration as before. The values of athletics helped me get here and neuroscience allowed me to escape when the results on the track did not come out”, he explained.
His goal is to improve every day with effort and work… and everything will come.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
