An inspiring article on the former University of Minnesota great who will be trying out of the US Olympic Team at VISA Championships.
Olympic spotlight: Former Minnesota Gophers gymnast Guillermo Alvarez. Ex-Gophers gymnast eyes Olympic berth to show other Hispanics they can dream big.
Since graduating summa cum laude as a psychology major in 2005, Alvarez has mostly shelved his aspirations of an advanced degree and focused on his longtime Olympic dream.
The nation’s top collegiate senior gymnast in 2005, the former Gopher doesn’t drive a luxury vehicle. He doesn’t live in a tony downtown loft. And, despite training full time the past three years, Alvarez isn’t assured of a spot on the medal-contending U.S. men’s Olympic gymnastics team.
…“I’ve been lucky to grow up in this country and to actually have the opportunity to train in this sport, because that’s something my father and his family didn’t have.
“The work they did paid off to give me the life that I have now.”
His father, Amando, emigrated with his parents and five siblings from Rio Verde, Mexico, in the 1950s, and they endured potato fields and labor camps in Idaho to fulfill their American dream.
“It’s pretty important just to have the face out here, especially now that immigration is such a big issue and there’s so much negative publicity about it,” Alvarez said of his Mexican roots. “To be able to show that, ‘Hey, I came from that.’ I want to give back, so other kids who don’t grow up in the richest neighborhoods can aspire to similar things.” …
read more …TwinCities.com
Alvarez is actually eligible to compete for Mexico. But would prefer to qualify for the American team.
UPDATE: Talked to him. He’s not eligible to compete for Mexico. Lesson learned: Can’t believe everything I see on the internet.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 