REQUEST: TRANSLATIONS OF SPANISH INTERVIEWS

I'm working on it, i'll probably post it by the end of the week, ok?

bye

Here's the first one, my english is not very good by I think it's understandable.

1.Would you be so kind to introduce yourself?
My name is Mireya Luis, I was born in the province of Camaguey in Cuba, I'm 40 years old and I'm married.

2. Which are the most important medals of your career?
The most important... I have very few... I have three Olympic gold medals: Barcelona 92, Atlanta 96 and Sydney 00, World Championships: 94 Rio de Janeiro and 98 Matsumoto, 4 Pan-American Games, 1 NORCECA, 2 Grand Prix that’s it.

3. You are the idol of many Volleyball players? How does that make you feel?
For me it’s beautiful, I feel very proud of being able to exercise an activity like playing volleyball, and I feel proud because I’ve done it with all my strength and all my love, and to know that people like the way I did it makes me feel like a complete athlete.

4. Do you have you any favourite players?
Despaigne, the way he played was different, I believe he was the biggest expression of an athlete, he had no limits.

5. When did you start playing Volleyball?
I started to play volleyball in 1978 in Camaguey, I was only ten years-old, I started at the Sports School of my city and played five National Games, and then I went straight for the NT.

6. You retired in 2000. Why?
Because I felt like there was player that could play for the NT on the same conditions I did, Yumilka had her chance and proved she could be powerful striker the NT needed.

7. Which was the biggest problem?
It was very difficult because volleyball to me was something… It is something that was a part of my life, it wasn’t a fantasy, neither a hobby it was something that I lived, and it was very hard to stop doing those beautiful things, like attack and jump and score a point, it was difficult.
7.2 - To organize my life, my social life, my work life, it was very hard because it was totally different from what I was doing before, something I did for a very long time

8. …and what helped you the most?
My family First of all and my husband, and an former sports friend Conrado Martinez, gave me a diary and told me write everything you have to do for the day or just the most important things, and that how I started to organize my life. The first thing I wrote on the diary was that I should hide my tennis and knee pads, that I should take a shower and put regular clothes and not my uniform. That was something that helped me a lot; sometimes it was like I needed something to remind me that I needed to put on regular clothes and shoes to go to the movies.

9. Do you miss Volleyball?
Yes, very much. I miss it every time I watch the NT play, I miss it every time I go watch a training session, and when I see a player that stands out, I miss all of it.

10. Are you still playing Volleyball?
No, because I fell I can’t no longer play as I used to.

11. So you are missing a chance to be happy.
I’ve been doing other things sport related, for example with Jaqueline Silva, Olympic champion of beach volley, we have a project that supports sports, and volleyball, so it was a way of keeping myself on the business, not really playing but working with it, I think it’s something beautiful, and I don’t think I’ve wasted any time, I dedicated it on all my activities.

12. Which are your present commitments?
Well, now on the delegation I’m the director of international relations in the Cuban Federation, and even thought I’m a PR I dedicate myself to being many other things, I talk with the players, visit them during training, taking care of their needs, I do almost everything on the Federation.

13. Are you interested in coaching?
Not for the moment as I like the work I’m currently doing, but I’m always close to the team and to the people that might need help in their activities and I believe that this way I can contribute to volleyball in some way.

14. What do you think about the future of Volleyball?
I see that volleyball has changed it’s rules and also changed in some other aspects, I believe that the future of volleyball is inside the athletes, changes were made in the attitude of the players, they are not the same as the ones I had and I think many things still can change to allow that the players express themselves more trough volleyball.
14.1 – I like some of it not all.
14.2 – I like the style, it’s played on faster way, and the players are good, but then again I preferred it back then.

15. Is Italy the main problem of Cuban Volleyball?
I believe that many Cuban athletes have gone to Italy looking for better payments, but I don’t think that Cuba has slowed down her process, it maintains a beautiful, strong and serious work, I don’t think that’s a big problem for us, many Cubans went to Italy but most of them are still representing Cuba with the same pride and strength.

16. What do you think about the other countries you have visited?
I like the culture, I Japan for example I got to discover new things and it was an amazing opportunity two play two championships in Japan and to know the dynamic Japanese volleyball, and I also could measure my defense and attack against the Japanese and it was great experience.
In Italy, I loved the culture, the food, the people I liked Italy so much that I married an Italian, and I also had the chance of playing along with many foreigners, it was amazing, and I would love to go back, to Japan or Italy or any other country, but always thinking for my true team.

17. Why you couldn’t live outside of Cuba?
Cuba is unique, it doesn’t look like any other place in the world, my country has a characteristic that very few others have, the tourists and even my husband says he doesn’t understands some things and I say you have to e Cuban to understand, Cuba is amazing and the simplicity of the people is very important specially on the world that we live nowadays, Cubans maintain the simplicity and the love. My family is very important I couldn’t live away form my parents, brother, nephews that’s very important to me.

18. Which is the most important victory of your career?
It was the gold of the Barcelona games 92, because Cuba haven’t attended to the previous two games for reason everyone knows and I was young and to win was an amazing experience, second it was Sydney 00, I felt like the Italians use to say a winner.

19. …and the biggest satisfaction since you retired?
To be able to spend time with my daughter, after so many years because when she was born I was still playing and I couldn’t have her close to me as much as I wanted, and now I can be a mother for the second time, with only one daughter.

20. How is your body feeling?
I’ve been keeping myself fit on a good shape, for me it’s important because some retired athletes gain weight after retiring and to me it’s important to maintain my shape.

21. Make ma a promise, I’ll come in Cuba and…
We could invite Regla Torres, and go to the great beaches in Cuba.

Great! Thank you very much

Mari, thank you very much for your hard and yet wonderful job with the translation.

Glad you guys liked it, here's second one.

1.When and where were you born?
In Camaguey, May 8, 1978

2. Would you describe your city?
Is the biggest city in Cuban territory, is one of the calmest cities, and also has the largest population, is very beautiful, it has many historical monuments, it’s very nice and I love it.

3. When did you start playing Volleyball?
I started when I was 8, in Camaguey, on a special area, that’s what called the area the belongs to the school but it specially for sports, I stayed there for a year and then I was called for the main school of that area, I played there for four years, and after that I went to Havana, where we have the National School for the junior, juvenile and the national team.

4. … and then you moved to Havana
Yes, I went there to finish school and continue my sports career in a school called ESPA School of athletic preparation, and I trained in there.

5. In Cuba SPORT and SCHOOL are strictly connected.
Yes, you have to study and practice sports, both things.

6. Were you talented since the beginning?
Actually when I was first called it because I was tall and have ability, I had a strong attack, I jumped high, and since then I they were working on me, na di remember that in 1991 the NTs of Cuba, team A and team B, they were in Camaguey the city I live, and I had the chance of training with that team, for three days, and from there I was called.

7. What’s your feeling about the historical Cuban Volleyball team?
For me it was great to have the chance of being on this team that dominated the scenario for so many years form 1987 to 2000, for us Cubans the volleyball is like an insignia of our sport, specially the female volleyball as Cuban women are very feminine and volleyball represents that.

8. Would you tell me more about your career?
I remember that in 1993 we had the chance of participating the Juvenile World Championship and I was 15, and we won, it was in Brasilia, Brazil, and for me it was a great experience, on the same years we played the Centro American Games in Puerto Rico and we won it too, and for all this time I was gaining experience, in juvenile I wasn’t on the starting line but I had the chance of playing, and then I went to cadet where we played the WC, I was already on the staring line, and he had the 5th place, and on the same year there was the national selection, and I was among the 18 best and that was great, and form there I started on the NT along with Mireya Luis, Regla Bell, Idalmis Gato, and I looked at them and it was amazing to be able to ply with those players, and then I officially entered for the NT and have been there for all this years.

9. …and now you are leading the Cuban team.
Well, I remember that after the 2000 many players weren’t on the NT anymore, Mireya Luis and others, around 80% of the players weren’t there anymore, and the younger athletes stayed like Zolia Barros, Martha Sanchez and me, and after that we gathered all the girls that came from the juvenile and cadet that had NT perspectives and they were moved for the NT quickly because we almost didn’t had a team, and we had very bad time, but we managed to get back on track, and it was for me to talk, and pass me experience, for them to get a notion and start playing and I believe that, that time was very important for me to because that’s when I turned captain.

10. You said: “Volleyball is all my life…”
yes, I said this because, it’s my passion, my life everything, is what I’ve always been doing since I was a kid, I love what I do and I enjoy it very much, and it fascinates me.

11. How do you spend your time in Havana?
Well, I Cuba I still study, I have classes two times I week, very important to have a career and a degree on something, and on the personal life we can do whatever we want, I have my house my family my boyfriend and my brother that lives with me.

12. Did you like to play abroad?
Yes, in 98,99,00 I was playing in Italy and 04, 05 in Russia, and in 95 I spent six months training in Japan

13. Could you compare your experiences abroad?
It was my first time there, and it was amazing because I’ve never been to a country that was so interesting and so nice, in Italy I lived probably the best years of my life, I had the chance of getting to know the culture, the people the way of life, the religion, another language, it gave me a lot of experience, in Russia it was kinda different in there the weather is so cold and the people are kind of introvert and cold like the weather, but I was also able to know the culture and the culture it was a very rich experience.

14. Who is the your favourite player?
It’s not because she’s Cuban but I always admired Mireya Luis, I used to watch her play on the TV and for us that’s an amazing thing, later on I got to meet her, I had the chance of playing with her in the 98 WC I looked at her and it was like Wow Mireya Luis, it was beautiful, for me she’s my idol.

15. What about you future?
What I want at most is every girls dream, to get married have children and live a nice life with no worries.

16. If you could, what would you change in Cuba?
I don’t know, because I like the weather, I like my way of life my family, what I love at most in my life is my family, and living close to them is great to me.

17. What would you like to take from another country
I would take the snow of Russia to Cuba, because my mother never saw it.

18. Cuban team is still playing with 2 setters. Is it the right time to change?
Yes we could change that but what happens is that we would need a player that was only a passer, and in Cuba all the girl like to attack, but for us it would be difficult because we are very bad on the reception and defense,

19. That’s why no one in Cuba wants to play as Libero.
I suppose, we are very very very bad on the defense.

20. Aguero, your former team-mate, is playing for the Italian team. What do you
think?
Well, many time has passed and the image that we had from Aguero is no longer of a Cuban Aguero, but a Italian Aguero, it’s hard because she was our friend, we had our problems but it’s all on the past now.

21. …and when do you meet the others players that left Cuba?
Always that we had the chance of seen one of them, we talk and it1s good because in Cuba most of use know each other, but sometimes they have other culture and other thought, they live a different life from us that still live in Cuba, but we’re fine we like our life, and it’s amazing when we meet.

22. Which is the most important victory of your career?
The final of Sydney 00, against Russia, we were completely lost, and we won it and it was fantastic, and other one was the Pan American 07 against Brazil, it was great and also against Brazil in the 98 WC when we used to play a 15 points set, we won and it was great.

23. …and the worst defeat?
when we lost to EUA in Athens 04, that was the worst game of my life.

24. How many more years will you be playing?
I don’t know that yet, because what I want at most is to go to the Olympic Games, we will try a classification here and I really want it.

25. Please could you say goodbye to everybody
Thank you very much for the support to the Cuban team and we hope to present you with some good matches.

Mari, once again, awesome job with the translation.... I really appreciate it.
thera is a lot of information from this interview with Ruiz, excellent.

thanks a lot! :good:

I´m so so so sorry.. i arrive too late to read this post. If Mari12 can´t translate the third one i´ll be glad to do it. I think my english isn´t so good as Mari´s, but i´m sure everybody would forgive me!

B.

Quote from volleyfan

I´m so so so sorry.. i arrive too late to read this post. If Mari12 can´t translate the third one i´ll be glad to do it. I think my english isn´t so good as Mari´s, but i´m sure everybody would forgive me!

B.

It would be good if you could do it, because I'm really busy with shcool and work right now, so I hardly have time.

Thanks

Perfect! And sorry for the delay. I´m not use to visit this site lastly...

So, what have i translate? The third one? Leyla´s one?

B.