Track Cycling Nationals 2026. Support Gilda Hernández

By Juan Zurita Victoria, MBA
Oax Sport. Chair, Athlete and Program Support Committee.

Location focus: Oaxaca, Mexico. Event week: January 27–31, 2026.

In Oaxaca, Mexico, many athletes train hard and still miss key events. Travel costs often decide who gets to compete.

In track cycling, one fee can decide everything. The airline bike baggage charge.

In this pre-report, we explain the one-time support we will send to Gilda Andrea Hernández Ramírez, a paracyclist from Oaxaca, Mexico. We share what we will fund, why it matters, what we will publish after the event, and how you can help.

Quick facts

Support amount: MXN $2,400
Purpose: Airline bike baggage fee (one specific expense)
Athlete: Gilda Andrea Hernández Ramírez
Event: Campeonato Nacional de Pista Xalapa 2026
Dates: January 27–31, 2026
Location: Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
Program: Path to Nationals. Elite Performance Scholarship Fund
Transfer method: Bank transfer to the athlete

Program page: Path to Nationals. Elite Performance Scholarship Fund

What we’re supporting

Oax Sport will send one-time support of MXN $2,400 for one purpose only.

Purpose: Airline bike baggage fee
Event week: Campeonato Nacional de Pista Xalapa 2026 (January 27–31, 2026)
Why this matters: The bike must arrive on time, protected, and race-ready

Why a bike baggage fee matters

Track cycling requires precision. The athlete and the bike must show up ready to race.

Airlines often charge extra for a bike case. For many athletes, that fee creates a simple problem. They either pay it, or they miss the event.

Missing a selection event carries a bigger cost than one race. An athlete loses a chance to:

compete in front of selectors and staff,
record competitive results,
stay in the selection pathway for the next cycle.

Meet Gilda

Gilda competes in paracycling. She races road, time trials, and now track selection events.

In her Oax Sport application, she reported these recent results:

Six gold medals at Paralimpiadas Nacionales CONADE (2018–2021).
Bronze medal at a 2025 Paracycling Road World Cup in Maniago, Italy (May 2025).
5th and 6th place at the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Ronse, Belgium (August 2025).
Top 6 in the UCI Para-cycling Road world ranking for 2025 (Category C2, Women).

She also reported a key context point. She does not have brand sponsorship. She covers many national and local costs herself.

The event in Xalapa

The Campeonato Nacional de Pista Xalapa 2026 will take place in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico from January 27 to 31, 2026.

The event organizers describe it as part of the classification process used to form national selections.

Gilda plans to race these tests during the event week:

1 km
Speed qualification
Scratch

She shared her goal in plain terms. She wants the sport decision-makers to see her performance and consider her for future selection events, including Pan American and World Cup opportunities.

How she is preparing

Gilda trains with her coach and focuses on details that matter on the track.

She will train in Mérida, Mexico to sharpen technique for the specific tests in Xalapa.
After Xalapa, she will shift focus to the next national track event for paracycling (organizers will announce the location and date).
She aims to stay active in the national selection pathway for 2026 international racing.

What track cycling demands

Track cycling rewards short, explosive power and clean execution. Small errors cost time.

“Track cycling is short-distance and explosive. You race on a fixed-gear bike with no brakes. The speed is maximum. The adrenaline is intense. I want to test my limits and compete in track cycling, even though access to track-specific training can be difficult from Oaxaca, Mexico.”
Gilda Hernández

Gilda also told us she does not have regular access to a velodrome in Oaxaca, Mexico. That detail matters. Athletes often need travel time just to simulate track conditions.

Why Oax Sport decided to support her

We funded this support for a simple reason. The barrier here relates to access, not ability.

Eddi Pérez Silva, Oax Sport Board Member and Treasurer, summarized the decision this way:

“This support buys a real chance to compete on equal footing. We want Gilda focused on performance, not on solving how to get there.”
Eddi Pérez Silva

You can meet our leadership team here: Oax Sport Members

How we send support

We keep one-time supports practical and easy to track.

We will send MXN $2,400 by bank transfer to the athlete.
Gilda will use the funds for the airline bike baggage fee.

This support does not cover flights, lodging, meals, event staff costs, or equipment purchases.

Typical costs we see in elite travel support

Donors often ask what “small support” looks like in practice. In Oaxaca, Mexico, we often see needs like:

airline baggage fees for sport equipment,
local transport to training sites and events,
basic recovery needs tied to training load,
event requirements and documentation, when applicable.

If you want, we can add a simple cost breakdown after each supported event when the athlete can share receipts.

How you can help

Series tags: #OaxSportPathToNationals #OaxSportEliteScholarship

Quick Q&A

How do you choose athletes?
We review applications and fund needs that remove barriers to access. When the athlete wants it, we also coordinate with their coach.

Do you send money to vendors or to athletes?
It depends. For this support, we will transfer funds to the athlete for the bike baggage fee.

What will you publish after the event?
A short recap with the support amount, the races she entered, and a brief outcomes summary.