“My preparation to get a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics will begin at Tokai University in Japan,” said Anriquelis Barrios during a recent visit to the popular Caracas area of Petare.
This girl born in Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar state, in 1993, will also train in Valencia, Spain. “I will continue studying graphic design. I am TSU, but I want to specialize, then I will do a master. I have to think ahead, ”he said.
She was invited to Petare by the people of the Download Zone, an organization that has been working with the communities in various aspects, such as education, and that has the Downloading Future program, which manages fourteen houses for directed tasks and 187 primary school students participate. .
Arinquelis shared in the Luisa Cáceres de Arísmendi recreational center with students from the Gama Jean schools, directed by sensei Johny Kempo from the San José sector, and Neomar Kempo Karate, under the baton of sensei Frederic Rodríguez, and located in a mimi gym in Union neighborhood. He observed the performance of the girls and gave him some advice, especially focused on discipline and sports perseverance. He also met with artists from this popular area, such as David Petit, who gave him a beautiful cover drawn in oil with a country figure on the inside.
This beautiful 28-year-old added regarding her career as an athlete: “I will focus on competing more and polishing up various mistakes. My goal is an Olympic medal, and if it’s gold, the better ”.
Be directive
In addition, once she retires as an athlete, she has thought about working for the Venezuelan Judo Federation and the International Judo Federation: “I am not yet ready for a federative position, but it is my north.”
Although she has been competing since she was six years old and has traveled a lot, she considered: “The stage in which I learned the most was in this pandemic, since I was alone in Japan and I decided to do more physical preparation in the absence of competitions. Besides, being alone, without my family, without my friends, made me mature a lot ”.
The Guayanese confessed that at the beginning of the pandemic “I was emotionally on a roller coaster. I had problems and I sought professional help from a specialist and it helped me to be calmer as I am now ”.
He recognizes that only “I hurt the Japanese a little bit. I only understand English more. They are pending tasks. I learned a lot about culture and now I love Japanese food more (laughs). The people are super nice, helpful. Of course, it is not like us, that we have that special human warmth ”.
It should be remembered that Barrios obtained a sports scholarship to practice judo at Tokai University, one hour from Tokyo by train. He is aware that being in Japan, “is the best country to develop my skills.”
In fact, this Nippon Budokan headquarters is considered the spiritual home of this martial art: “Judo was born there. I am training in Japan, where it was created and is a key point. That venue, the Budokan, is very good, very good ”.
The Creole will continue in the -63 kilos category, where she took an Olympic diploma for her fifth place in Tokyo, “but I will try to make it a medal for Paris 2024.”
