Twenty years of sports career and several international medals are part of the life of Seledina Nieves, who was chosen to join the Athletes Commission of the Pan American Weightlifting Federation (FPLP).
Representing athletes, or as she calls them "my colleagues," is not something new for the Esmeraldas weightlifter, she has already done it as part of the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee. Now she will contribute all her experience to be the voice of weightlifters from Ecuador and America.
"It was a surprise for me that the President of the Ecuadorian Weightlifting Federation (Luis Zambrano) called me to give me the news," Seledina said from Esmeraldas, where she is based as the zonal coordinator of the Ministry of Sports.
"It's an honor to be part of the Pan American Athletes Commission, in order to work with my colleagues for the benefit of our sport."
The Athletes Commission was elected by the Executive Committee of the FPLP on August 31 and is made up of five athletes; in addition to Seledina, it also includes María Valdez from Chile, Érika Ortega from Panama, Keydomar Vallenilla from Venezuela, and David Samayoa from Canada, who presides over the Commission.
The team, which will serve for four years, has already held its first virtual meeting. "It was to get to know each other," said the Ecuadorian. "The idea is to analyze the vision and mission that we have with this Athletes Commission to work for the benefit of the sport. We know that there are many issues, and I think I have a lot to contribute. I know the athletes and each of the issues that are happening in the practice of the sport. The idea that I am going to propose is that we work or can do something so that athletes who retire can have an adequate transition, nowadays retiring and not having a proper transition can bring many complications to their health."
In her sports career, Seledina won five continental titles in the 75 kg category. She was champion at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara 2011 and seventh at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She was awarded the Citius Altius Fortius trophy by the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee three times. In 2017, she won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Anaheim, United States.
Today she is retired from competitive sports, but not from weightlifting, because a 20-year career cannot stop "overnight." "I am training the basics because having a proper transition also requires planning. I have talked a lot with my former coach, and he says he will start a routine. Currently, I am on hold because an athlete like Seledina Nieves cannot retire overnight. I think due to work activities, I didn't have much time, but at the beginning of the pandemic, I have been able to do some cardio every day because I have to take care of my health."
At 42 years old, the Esmeraldas native has a master's degree in sports training. Although she is now in the public service, she does not rule out being part of sports leadership or becoming a coach of a national team at some point because, for her, the important thing is to "collaborate with my sport, contribute with what little I have learned both in my sports life and now in my professional life."
That's why she assures that being part of the FPLP Athletes Commission is a team effort, which she intends to develop with the commitment and simplicity that have always characterized her. First, she will seek to meet with her colleagues from Ecuador to learn about their needs, then she will exchange ideas with the members of the Commission in order to put them into a document that reaches all the federations of the countries in the American continent.
"This is the first Pan American Commission, and we hope that being the first group, we can leave a legacy for the athletes who come later." (D)