Original language: Spanish (radio segment on Tribu al Extremo, 106.1 FM).
By Juan Zurita Victoria, MBA
Oax Sport. Athlete Support and Programs.
Report also available in Spanish and French.
This blog series
Every Thursday, I host “Jueves de Oax Sport” on Tribu al Extremo. Here, I turn each episode into text so you can read fast, save the key facts, and understand how athlete support works in Oaxaca. In every post you will find: episode details, the week’s focus, and the interview organized by theme.
Previous posts in this series:
Episode 0: Segment launch
Episode 1: Jasmín Carolina Cruz
Episode 2: Emily Sofía Barrera
Episode 3: Shunca Biani Moya Santiago
Episode details
- Host and text: Juan Zurita Victoria
- Guest athlete: Yedany Nayeli González Gálvez
- Team: Titanes Sport Clinic
- Coach: Uber Clain Herrera Aquino
- Show: Tribu al Extremo (Grupo FM Radios). 106.1 FM
- Segment: Jueves de Oax Sport
- Air date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
- Focus: 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, CONADE regional preparation, student-athlete life, nutrition, mental preparation, and athlete support through running tours
- Listen live: every Thursday, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Oaxaca time
Support focus of the week
This episode focused on Yedany’s preparation for the CONADE (Mexico’s national youth sports competition system) regional stage and also explained one practical support model used by Oax Sport: running tours with visitors.
Yedany shared that she joined two Oax Sport running tour experiences. She said the cash support from those experiences helped her pay transportation for a trip to Mexico and reduce the expense for her parents.
Program: Run Oaxaca athlete tours
Model discussed: running tours with visitors that help athletes cover real competition costs
Support mentioned by Yedany: cash support from running tour participation that helped with transportation for a trip to Mexico
Program directory: https://oaxsport.org/programs-directory/
Result
- Event: Oaxaca state stage on the road to CONADE
- Events discussed: 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles
- Result shared on air: Yedany qualified for the CONADE regional stage in both events
- Regional stage: Tlaxcala, late March 2026
- Current best mark shared by Yedany: 58.18 in the 400 meters
- 400-meter hurdles progress shared by Yedany: 1:06 in her first race and 1:04 at the state stage
- Regional goals: run 57 seconds in the 400 meters and improve to 1:03 or 1:02 in the 400-meter hurdles
30-second recap
- Yedany is 18 years old and started track and field at age 11 after practicing ballet.
- She trains with Titanes Sport Clinic and has worked with coach Uber Clain Herrera Aquino for seven years.
- She qualified for the CONADE regional stage in the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles.
- She said she feels motivated to seek her national-stage qualification because she has trained for that goal.
- She explained that mental preparation, psychology, meditation, yoga, reading, nutrition, sleep, and hydration all affect performance.
- She described the difficulty of training in Oaxaca, including limited support, difficult travel, and restrictions on using spikes at some facilities.
- She shared that Oax Sport running tours helped her cover transportation costs for a competition trip.
Interview in text
Theme 1. Who Yedany is and how she started
Q (Juan): Yedany, introduce yourself. Tell us your full name and your age.
A (Yedany): My name is Yedany Nayeli González Gálvez, and I am 18 years old.
Q (Juan): When did you start track and field?
A (Yedany): I started practicing track and field when I was 11.
Q (Juan): How did that process begin?
A (Yedany): Before track, I did ballet. Then I tore my shoulder and could not continue. I was between track and soccer. I joined a summer course, and there I chose track and field.
Q (Juan): Do you remember your first competition?
A (Yedany): Not very clearly, but I think it was in elementary school during the selection events where all the elementary schools competed. I ran the 150 meters and 80 meters. I remember that because of nerves, I forgot my name.
Q (Juan): Who first saw talent in you?
A (Yedany): My coach Uber. I was his first athlete. He worked in the summer course and invited me to join his team.
Q (Juan): How did you feel when you started?
A (Yedany): I was nervous, but also excited to try something new.
Q (Juan): When did you start taking track more seriously?
A (Yedany): I feel that I always took it seriously, but I took it more seriously when I started competing to represent Oaxaca. That was about four years ago, around 2021, in my first U16 year.
Q (Juan): How would you describe Yedany outside the track?
A (Yedany): I think I am very happy, friendly, and loud.
Theme 2. From 800 meters to 400-meter hurdles
Q (Juan): What events do you currently run?
A (Yedany): I currently run the 400 meters and the 400-meter hurdles.
I explained on air that Yedany had just qualified for the CONADE regional stage in both events after the Oaxaca state phase.
Q (Juan): Before this, you ran the 400 and 800 meters. Why did you leave the 800?
A (Yedany): I decided to leave the 800 because I wanted to try something new. I was not enjoying the 800 as much anymore because I suffered a lot in that race.
Q (Juan): How did you feel racing the 400-meter hurdles in this CONADE process?
A (Yedany): It was my first CONADE competition in the 400-meter hurdles, but my second time racing the event overall. I was nervous because I do not have much experience in it yet, and I had a strong competitor. I tried to control it and enjoy the race because I am still getting to know the event.
Q (Juan): Which event have you enjoyed most?
A (Yedany): I think I have enjoyed the 400 the most. But now I think I am starting to like the 400-meter hurdles more. The one that bothered me most was the 800.
Q (Juan): What makes the difference for you?
A (Yedany): I think the training. I like 400 training because it is fast and demanding. The 800 is demanding too, but I like the 400 more.
Theme 3. The state stage and regional qualification
Q (Juan): How did you prepare specifically for the state stage?
A (Yedany): I trained Monday through Saturday. I also went to the nutritionist and the physiotherapist.
Q (Juan): What did you feel when you heard the starting gun in the 400 and then in the 400-meter hurdles?
A (Yedany): Before, I would get very nervous and shake. With time, I have controlled that more. Now I think that I trained all this time for that moment, so I have to go out, enjoy it, and give my best. I still get a little nervous, but I try to control it.
Q (Juan): What did you feel when you crossed the finish line and saw that you had won and qualified for regionals?
A (Yedany): I felt happy because that was what my team and I were looking for.
Q (Juan): What does qualifying for regionals mean to you?
A (Yedany): It means another achievement. It shows me that I can do it and that I am capable of achieving what I set out to do.
Q (Juan): After this qualification, do you feel pressure or motivation?
A (Yedany): Right now I feel motivated to go seek my pass to nationals. I think I can do it because that is what I have trained for all this time.
Theme 4. Training cycles and preparing for Tlaxcala
I explained that track preparation changes through the year. In the early phase, training may include distance, strength, hills, and general work. As the competition season approaches, the work becomes more specific, with more speed, track sessions, and race-focused repetitions.
Q (Juan): How did you live that process from around August until the state competition?
A (Yedany): We started working to build more resistance. We went to the hill, and I liked those workouts, but I suffered in them because they were repetitions uphill with little rest and at rhythm.
A (Yedany): Around October and November, we started adding track work and longer repetitions, like 12 repetitions of 300 meters at rhythm. Around December, we started adding faster and heavier workouts to arrive prepared for the state stage.
Q (Juan): How has your training changed from the state stage to the regional stage?
A (Yedany): Right now my training has some very heavy days. I also have days to practice hurdles and add strength.
Theme 5. CONADE history, marks, and the ranking format
Q (Juan): Tell us about your CONADE path. How many times have you qualified, and in which events?
A (Yedany): I have qualified for nationals for four years. I started in U16. My first U16 year was canceled because of the pandemic, and later I ran 600 meters. It was my first experience, and I was very nervous.
A (Yedany): Then I entered U18 and ran the 400 meters. I also qualified for nationals. The next year, I qualified again in the 400 and 800. That year, I felt that I controlled my nerves more because before, I arrived at nationals and felt intimidated by other athletes.
A (Yedany): Last year, I also qualified in the 400 and 800, but it did not go as well. I qualified for nationals in relays because I missed qualifying in the 400 by one thousandth. It was almost nothing. This year, the goal is to qualify for nationals again.
Q (Juan): How do you see the rule of requiring marks for qualification?
A (Yedany): From my point of view, I think it is not completely right because there is not enough support to demand those marks. There are not always good tracks. It must feel hard for athletes who work all year and miss qualification by a second, thousandths, or hundredths. That can discourage them. But I also feel that sometimes it is good because it makes us demand more from ourselves. I am between good and bad.
Q (Juan): How did you feel when you saw the marks they asked for in your events?
A (Yedany): This year, I felt calm because I had already run those marks. But when I saw some of my teammates’ marks, I thought they were very fast and very hard to ask for.
Q (Juan): What level do you expect at regionals?
A (Yedany): In the 400, I have an idea of who I will race, and I feel it will not be too complicated. But we are not going for place. We are going for marks because this year qualification to nationals is different.
A (Yedany): In the 400-meter hurdles, I do not know my competitors much because this is my first year in the event. I imagine it will be good. But again, we are going more for marks than place because the best times from all regions qualify.
Q (Juan): What is your realistic goal for regionals?
A (Yedany): In the 400, my goal is to lower my time and run 57 seconds. My best is 58.18. I also want to improve my race strategy because I feel the one I have used is not working as well anymore.
A (Yedany): In the 400-meter hurdles, I also want to lower my time. At state, I ran 1:04, which is very good because it was my second race. In my first race, I ran 1:06, so I lowered it by two seconds. My goal is 1:03 or 1:02 and to clear the hurdles better because I still do not fully have the rhythm.
Theme 6. Student-athlete life
Q (Juan): What does a normal day in Yedany’s life look like?
A (Yedany): My day starts at 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. I wake up, shower, get ready, and prepare my things for university. I study nutrition.
A (Yedany): I leave home around 6:40 a.m. to arrive at university at 7:00 a.m. I have classes from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. That makes meals complicated, so I have to organize my food and bring it with me. If I do not bring food, I do not have time to buy it.
A (Yedany): From 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., I have a free hour because I take FIBU, which is an extra sports and cultural activity at my university. I use that hour to do homework and eat.
A (Yedany): On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I take ballet from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. After ballet, I go straight to training. Sometimes we train at Parque Primavera and sometimes at the track in Ciudad Universitaria. If training is at Ciudad Universitaria, it takes me about 30 minutes to arrive. If it is at Parque Primavera, it is closer.
A (Yedany): I train about an hour and a half to two hours. Then I go home, arriving around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. After that, I eat, sometimes eat and have dinner together if I did not have time earlier, do homework, and sleep around 10:00, 10:30, or 11:00 p.m.
Q (Juan): How many hours do you train per day?
A (Yedany): Around two to two and a half hours. During vacations, we sometimes do double sessions in the morning and afternoon. In vacation periods, we focus a lot on improving as much as possible.
Theme 7. Hard workouts and mental preparation
Q (Juan): What is the hardest part of your training?
A (Yedany): I think the hardest part is enduring everything.
Q (Juan): What workouts do you enjoy most, and which are the hardest?
A (Yedany): My favorite workouts are on the track. I really like 300-meter workouts. The hardest ones are when they give me 200 meters, one minute of rest, and then another 200 meters. Those have been some of the most difficult because they are physically hard, but the mental part also matters a lot.
Q (Juan): How do you prepare mentally?
A (Yedany): I go to a psychologist. I work with Aralia. I am going to restart because I stopped for a while. I also read many books, and that has helped me a lot. I meditate and go to yoga. That has helped me a lot too.
A (Yedany): It is about controlling your mind and your nerves, and being aware of how you feel and how you can improve. That has helped me a lot.
Q (Juan): What would you say to people who get nervous or stressed and do not think they need a psychologist?
A (Yedany): I think it is very important. You can be physically ready, but if mentally you are not well, everything you worked for can go away in one race because of nerves. Maybe you start badly, or in an extreme case, you get stomach problems because of nerves. That happens.
A (Yedany): You have to control the mind a lot. Going to a psychologist is important because it helps you reach your potential and believe in yourself. Many people may believe in you, but if you do not believe in yourself, it is very hard to achieve what you want.
Theme 8. Nutrition, hydration, sleep, and recovery
Q (Juan): Do you follow any special nutrition plan?
A (Yedany): Yes. I work with my nutritionist, who is very good. Right now, because of the heat, we focus a lot on hydration. Another goal is to gain more weight because I was a little low in weight and body fat.
A (Yedany): We are also working on increasing body fat because it is useful. Since I demand a lot from my body, my body uses its resources. If I do not have enough fat, it starts using muscle.
Q (Juan): What would you say to young athletes who eat whatever they can or sometimes do not eat enough?
A (Yedany): Nutrition is a pillar. Everything goes together. Eating well, nourishing yourself well, and sleeping are essential so you can perform well.
A (Yedany): There are days when I cannot eat well because of university. Then I have a very hard workout, and I finish dizzy or with a headache. Eating well is very important.
Theme 9. Difficult moments and training in Oaxaca
Q (Juan): What has been your most difficult moment in your athletic career?
A (Yedany): The one I remember most and that marked me most was when I had appendix surgery. I had to stop training for about two months. When I came back, I could not train hard for about a month or a month and a half.
A (Yedany): It was frustrating to see others running and training and feel that they were moving forward while I stayed there. That was the most complicated for me.
Q (Juan): How complicated is it to train in Oaxaca, because of facilities, equipment, or support?
A (Yedany): I think it is complex because sometimes we do not receive the support we should. At a macro-regional event in Yucatán (a later stage in the CONADE pathway), they sent us by bus on a 24- or 25-hour trip, and we had to compete the next day. That was very heavy.
A (Yedany): Also, at the Polideportivo track, there were times when we went to train and they did not let us train with spikes because they said the track would get damaged. But the track is for training with spikes. I think we need more support, not only in track and field, but in other sports too.
Theme 10. Support, dreams, and a message for girls
I explained that Oax Sport supports athletes from Oaxaca through different forms of help, depending on what is possible in each case. That can include cash support, in-kind support, materials, and fundraising campaigns. We also run visitor experiences that connect athletes with people who want to run in Oaxaca and support local sport.
Q (Juan): You have joined us twice for Oax Sport running tours. How was that experience?
A (Yedany): It was very interesting and a beautiful experience because you interact with people from other places, you meet people, and you learn new things. I liked joining the experiences. I had the chance to interact with Amanda and Tyler, and you can even practice your English with them.
Q (Juan): How did that support help you?
A (Yedany): It helped a lot. When I joined the experiences, I received cash support. I saved it, and when we went on a trip to Mexico, I used it to pay my transportation. That also helped my parents with the expenses because there are many costs.
Q (Juan): What is your biggest dream in track and field?
A (Yedany): To go to an international event, improve my marks, and maybe win a national medal.
Q (Juan): Would you like to represent Mexico one day?
A (Yedany): Yes, definitely. One person who inspires me a lot is Alejandra Paulina. She has represented Mexico, and I think she is an impressive talent from Oaxaca. I have trained with her, and that motivates me to represent Mexico and the state too.
Q (Juan): How do you see yourself in five years?
A (Yedany): I see myself as someone who has finished her degree, as a yoga teacher, and maybe in sport, representing Mexico.
Q (Juan): What message would you give girls who are starting in track and field?
A (Yedany): Never give up. Try new things, and do not let yourself feel intimidated by anyone. You have the ability to give your best. Trust your work, your coach, and your team.
A (Yedany): The most important thing is to enjoy your race and remember why you are there. You are there because it makes you happy. Do it with love and dedication.
Q (Juan): Is there anyone you want to thank?
A (Yedany): I want to thank the people who have been with me, especially my coach. I have been with him for seven years. He has always believed in me and supported me. My physiotherapist is like my best friend, and I tell him everything. I also thank my parents because they have always been there and they motivate me to keep going. I thank my nutritionist too because she helps me improve in all these areas.
Q (Juan): One word that defines you?
A (Yedany): Happy and loving. Two words.
What is next
Yedany is preparing for the CONADE regional stage in Tlaxcala. Her goal is to qualify for the national stage again, lower her 400-meter time, improve her strategy, and continue learning the rhythm of the 400-meter hurdles.
Quick Q&A for athletes, families, and donors
Why does mental preparation matter?
Yedany said nerves can ruin a race even when the athlete has trained well. Psychology, meditation, yoga, reading, and self-awareness help her control pressure.
What support does an athlete need beyond training?
The episode shows the importance of nutrition, hydration, sleep, physiotherapy, mental preparation, coaching, family support, and reliable travel conditions.
How do Oax Sport running tours help athletes?
Running tours connect athletes with visitors and create a practical support channel. In Yedany’s case, the support helped her pay transportation for a competition trip.
How can a person or company help?
You can support active fundraisers, donate, or contact Oax Sport to learn about current athlete needs. Support can help cover competition costs, equipment, travel, or athlete programs.
How you can support today
Active fundraisers: https://oaxsport.org/support-us/fundraisers/
Donate: https://oaxsport.org/support-us/donate/
Contact: https://oaxsport.org/contact/
Transparency
Oax Sport Inc. is a US nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status. EIN: 86-3407818.
Oax Sport A.C. is a registered civil association in Oaxaca. RFC: OSP230216SG0.
Donations support athletes from underserved communities in Oaxaca, Mexico.
If you need a receipt or tax documentation, contact us and tell us whether you donated to Oax Sport Inc. (USA) or Oax Sport A.C. (Mexico).
Listen every Thursday
Join us every Thursday for “Jueves de Oax Sport” inside Tribu al Extremo (106.1 FM), from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Oaxaca time. You can also watch the broadcast on Facebook (Tribu al Extremo / Tribalex).
Which part of Yedany’s story stood out to you most?
Last updated: May 18, 2026
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