Ice skating expert! Tec graduate aids Mexican skater at Beijing 2022

“It was very strange (ice-skating) because it was something I’d never done before. When I entered the ice rink, I wasn’t afraid. From the beginning, I felt that it was the place where I belonged.”

This is how Nancy García remembers what it was like to put on her skates at the age of seven and enter an ice rink for the first time. In the beginning, she held on to the railings but after gaining confidence, her talent flowed.

The graduate in International Business from Tec de Monterrey has been a professional skater for 17 years. She is also a technical judge, consultant, and coach in this discipline.

Now, this 36-year-old Tec graduate is on the way to achieving one of her personal goals: attending the Winter Olympics.

She will make her dream come true, not as a competitor, but as team leader for Donovan Carrillo, the figure skater who is representing Mexico at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Making her Olympic dream come true alongside Donovan Carrillo

During her 17-year career as a skater and a certified technical specialist, Nancy has gained the experience necessary to become a consultant and coach.

That’s why she was chosen by Gregorio Núñez, the trainer of Donovan Carrillo, the first Mexican figure skater in 30 years.

She explained that she was invited several years ago to lead the team and help 22-year-old Donovan focus on the technical side of his training.

“I’m like a consultant. As a technical judge, I give feedback after each competition, on the points that need improving,” she said.

“I’ve been working with Donovan, Gregorio, and Carlos Pruneda, who’s the head of the Mexican delegation, for several years and we became friends. That’s why I was given the opportunity to be part of the team,” she added.

On January 25, Nancy was part of the escort that accompanied the skater for his appointment as flag bearer of the Mexican delegation that will attend the Winter Games in Beijing, China.

“It’s exciting to go to my first Olympic Games with Donovan and Gregorio, I know how much they’ve worked for it. I’ve known Donovan since he was young, I’ve seen him grow in his career, setting goals to break all records in Mexico.”

“It’s exciting to go to my first Olympic Games with Donovan and Gregorio, I know how hard they’ve worked for it.”

How her love for ice skating was born

Nancy recalls the afternoon when her uncle went to pick her up from her dance classes in a shopping mall in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, and she was amazed by the skating rink that she saw there.

“It no longer exists, but back then it was the most famous ice rink there was. I fell in love with it. 

“I wanted to get on the rink, so I asked my uncle to take me. He was suffering because the skates didn’t fit him, but he took me anyway.

From then on, Nancy insisted that her parents take her as often as possible.

“One day, a coach approached them. Maybe they saw that I had some kind of talent, and then I started asking my parents for classes,” she recalled.

Practicing ice skating in a city with a hot climate

Nancy remembers what it was like to overcome the challenges at the beginning, which led to her pursuing a career in skating and representing Mexico in an ISU Junior Grand Prix.

She was trained by Eduardo Burguete, one of the pioneers in this discipline in Mexico. However, she had to deal with the lack of adequate infrastructure to practice this sport.

“The rink wasn’t the official size, and the ice was often melted because the electricity was so expensive, so many times we trained in water.

“Since most of the rinks are public, you had to practice at 5 a.m., before going to school, so you could be alone,” she said.

According to information from INEGI, the average annual temperature of Nuevo León, where Nancy lived, is 20°C; the average maximum is 32°C and the average minimum is 5°C.

Over time, she also became a judge for the ISU (International Skating Union). However, she still kept the dream of attending a winter Olympics alive.

Her next goal: being a judge at the Olympic Games

As Nancy advanced in her career as a skater, she strengthened her abilities, which led to her being considered by the Mexican Federation of Ice Skating and Winter Sports to become a national judge.

She continued training until she became an international technical specialist and even had the opportunity to go to Frankfurt, Germany, where she attended an ISU seminar to take her career to the next step. Now, she can be a judge in world championships and even in the Olympic Games.

“From a young age, I’ve achieved my goals; as a skater representing Mexico in a Junior Grand Prix; then being assigned as an ISU judge last September; and now I’m going to the Olympics with Donovan.

“My biggest dream was to go to the Olympic Games. Over the years, life has pushed me in other directions but, in the end, I will achieve my goal at the side of a skater who’s going to make Mexico proud. My next goal is to one day be an Olympic Games judge,” she said.

Nancy is one of only two people in Mexico certified by the ISU as a technical specialist, the other being Ricardo Labarrieta, who was also her mentor. She is also an ambassador for this sport in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Peru.

“Respect, perseverance, and honesty are what have shaped me as a person and helped me get where I am today. It’s the things that I learned during my time at the Tec that have helped me to be fair and loyal to what I believe is right,” she concluded.

“My biggest dream was to go to the Olympic Games (...) In the end, I will achieve my goal at the side of a skater who is going to make Mexico proud.

Her team’s schedule for Beijing 2022

Donovan Carrillo and his team’s debut at the Winter Olympics will be on Monday, February 7. The schedule will be as follows:

Format: Short program

Day: Monday, February 7

Time: 7:30 pm (Central Mexico time)

Format: Long program

Day: Wednesday, February 9

Time: 7:30 pm (Central Mexico time)

The official page of the Olympic Games presents Donovan Carrillo as one of the five Spanish-speaking athletes to compete at Beijing 2022, ranking number 20 of the best in the world in his discipline.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be held from February 4 to 20, 2022, with China’s capital being the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

The Mexican delegation is made up of four athletes, two of whom will be appearing for the first time: Donovan Carrillo, in figure skating; and Jonathan Soto, in cross-country skiing.

Mexican Sarah Schleper will be the first woman in history to participate in six Winter Olympics in alpine skiing. Rodolfo Dickson will compete for the second time in the men’s giant slalom.

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