By Juan Zurita Victoria, MBA
Oax Sport. Chair, Athlete and Program Support Committee.
Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
Event: Campeonato Nacional de Pista Xalapa 2026
Dates: January 27–31, 2026
Gilda Andrea Hernández Ramírez went to Xalapa, Veracruz to race three events and leave with three wins. She did exactly that.
If you already follow para-cycling in Oaxaca, Mexico, you know her name. If you do not, this is your quick catch-up, including what she told us right after the racing.
Follow Gilda: https://www.instagram.com/gildan.hernandz.24/
What happened on the track
Gilda entered three events. She won all three.
Sprint
1st place. 15.746 seconds. 45.725 km/h
1 km Time Trial
1st place. 1:33.016. 38.703 km/h
Scratch race
1st place. 36.436 km/h
Why track feels different than road
Gilda races road and time trial. Track asks for something else.
“Las pruebas son muy cortas, pero demasiado explosivas. Es velocidad pura. No ocupas cambios y no se necesita frenar. Todo está en tener un buen arranque y aguantar un paso fijo.”
“The race stays short, but the effort hits hard right away. There’s no changing, no stopping. You start fast and you hold a fixed pace through the discomfort.”
The part most people never see
Before the trip, Oax Sport covered one specific expense for this nationals week. The airline bike baggage fee. One barrier was removed.
After the event, Gilda explained the rest of the reality.
“El traslado fue complicado… por ser dos bicicletas… y el rodillo… los transportes públicos no sean tan grandes… o el precio sea mayor por el equipaje.”
“The trip was complicated… because there were two bicycles… and the roller… the public transportation isn’t very large… or the price is higher because of the luggage.”
It’s not just the flight fee that matters, but so do the steps after the airport. The athlete still has to move the whole sport across a city.
What comes next
Gilda told us she will adjust her next block right away.
“Entrenamientos estructurados para complementar la pista y la ruta al mismo tiempo… solo faltan dos semanas para el Campeonato Panamericano de Brasil… se tiene contemplado ir en selección.”
“Structured training sessions to complement track and road at the same time… there are only two weeks left until the Pan American Championship in Brazil… it’s planned to go as part of the national team.”
In her words
We asked for one short line that summed up her week.
“Estoy haciendo lo que una vez soñé hacer… la pista lo es todo para mí… sentir la adrenalina y probarme a mí misma… fue una experiencia maravillosa.”
“I’m doing what I once dreamed of … the track is everything to me… feeling the adrenaline and testing myself… it was a wonderful experience.”
How Oax Sport helped this time
As always, Oax Sport support stayed focused and trackable. We covered the airline bike baggage fee, which was sent by bank transfer to the athlete.
You can see our leadership team here: https://oaxsport.org/about-us/members/
Legal and transparency
Oax Sport Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 86-3407818.
Oax Sport A.C. is a registered Mexican nonprofit based in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Donations support athletes from underserved communities in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Support Gilda
If you want to support Gilda’s international and Olympic-level goals, you can contact us here: https://oaxsport.org/contact/
Or contact her directly here: https://www.instagram.com/gildan.hernandz.24/
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