Diana Victoria Chue is one of the few women in a technical body in Mexican soccer. She is currently the physiotherapist of Club Deportivo y Social Tampico-Madero, a team that plays in the professional Second Division in Mexico.
"I discovered my love for soccer in high school, where I had friends who played it. I would like to be the coach of the Mexican national team. There will always be someone who believes in you," is the quote that identifies a woman who dared to break paradigms and taboos in Mexican soccer.
To fulfill her dream of becoming a coach, Diana had to move from her hometown of Reynosa to Jalisco. She entered the University of Guadalajara to pursue her goal, and over the months she had her first contact with the field of physiotherapy.
"Obviously it was a new city. I had classes at two different centers, and it was like going from here at the stadium to Altama. I enjoyed it, I didn't feel it was heavy. Usually, in the last year, I found that treasure, the chest. I went to the rehabilitation area. While I was still going to the university with the aim of sports training, in the second semester, I met the tutor who was in charge of physical rehabilitation and she gave me a tour of the area," she explained.
After completing her degree, her first internships were with athletes from the University of Guadalajara. Her contact with soccer came during a preseason with the Leones Negros, and she tried to join Atlas, a team that was open to women, but an unfortunate event changed everything.
"When I was doing internships, a vacancy opened up at Atlas for the rehabilitation area, but just at that time, there was a problem with the podiatrist at Chivas. Because of all this, the doors closed for women in every sense, and that happened at the red and black institution," Diana declared.
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During a vacation in her hometown, Diana offered her services to a friend who played for Atlético Reynosa. He recommended her to the other players, but in a male-dominated environment, the coach refused to accept help from a woman in the locker rooms.
"When I received a call from Mike Torres, the sports director in Reynosa, he told me they were interested in my work. The next day, I called my three jobs in Guadalajara and told them I would not be coming back. I found an opportunity in soccer," she added.
The COVID-19 pandemic arrived and fate once again placed the specialist in a different scenario. Without a job, she went to Mexico City and was able to find work as a secretary. A few months ago, Gastón Obledo called her to offer her a place on his coaching staff.
"After having the opportunity to rehabilitate several young players, Mike Torres (current sports president of the club) offered me a job again, and without thinking twice, I accepted it. It's a challenge, a very big one, because of everything that Tampico-Madero represents," Diana emphasized.
Diana never gave up on her dream of one day joining the Mexican national soccer team and doing what she is passionate about, but from a different perspective.
On this March 8th, on the occasion of International Women's Day, she sends a message not to give up on dreams and urges women to continue breaking paradigms in every possible way.
"Women must support each other in order to continue progressing in this world, where some men are still blinded by female power," she concluded.