It's always sunny in California

Hey there! I’m Santiago Pérez, Strength & Conditioning Intern at the Chula Vista OTC. I have to say first that it has been great being able to have other interns share their experiences through the blog and reading how each one is doing during this great opportunity we all have had the honor of being a part of.

I am sure that everyone at least has an idea of where Chula Vista is, but for those who don’t it is located just south of San Diego, basically in the same metropolitan area. The Olympic Training Center is set on the very eastern edge of the city, which makes for a fantastic location in terms of scenery and away from any city noise, covering a large piece of land (over 150 acres if I recall correctly). There are several sports training here, whether they are resident, non-resident, or short-term training camps, which are Track & Field, BMX, Kayak/Canoe, Rowing, Field Hockey, Archery, Soccer, all the way to even Bobsled and Ski.

As for me, I’m originally from Paraguay. I came to the United States 5 years ago on a Track & Field college scholarship which took me to Idaho, Kansas, and many states in between. I’m currently finishing my Masters degree at Midwestern State University, which is located in Wichita Falls, Texas. Having the opportunity to work as a Strength & Conditioning Intern at the OTC is by far the best experience I’ve had in terms of my career formation. I have the pleasure of working every day with elite athletes from several different sports on all facets of their physical training, and let me tell you it does not get any better than this. I am undoubtedly living the dream. I have always been a huge fan of the Olympics and its ideals, so having the honor of being an Intern here is something that will stay with me forever.

In addition, living in the Center has been one of the most interesting parts of the Internship. Being able to spend time interacting with the athletes in the OTC has been a great opportunity to meet great people and make new friends, as well as getting to know the ins and outs of the lives of professional athletes, their struggles, sacrifices, hardships, and the success, passion for what they do, and gratifying moments that make all the latter tough moments worthwhile.
Having lived most of my life here in the US in the Midwest, coming to California was an exciting experience. I never knew it would have been this great. Everything from the people to the weather makes this an amazing place to be in. And for all those of you who thought you knew what great weather was, if you haven’t been in southern California you don’t know what perfect climate is. San Diego is an exciting city with a lot to offer which I try to take advantage of during my free time, primarily on the weekends. Having the beach near DEFINITELY does not hurt either. It is late October and this weekend I enjoyed a beautiful warm day at the beach with some friends getting hit by waves and playing beach soccer (sorry CS and LP, snow is pretty and all but can’t beat the beach!).

I am grateful I have the chance of sharing my experiences of the Internship Program in this blog. This is truly a unique and fantastic experience that only a select few have the chance to partake in, and I am honored to be one of them. I wish all the interns on all OTCs the best during the remaining of their internships. I hope you are learning from this great experience and enjoying every moment of it.

Best of luck and take care!

Santiago Pérez