VANCOUVER – When Inaki Gomez (Vancouver, BC) takes his first step in tomorrow's 20-kilometre race walk at the Summer Olympics in London, his childhood dream will become reality.
The former UBC Thunderbird will wear bib number 1289 on his Canada jersey.
But his journey to becoming an Olympic race walker for Canada isn't a straightforward one. That's because as a child, the three-time NAIA outdoor champion actually dreamed of swimming at the Olympics…for Mexico.
The 24-year-old was born in Mexico City but came to Vancouver at the age of 11. He took up swimming after moving north and it became his main athletic focus.
Gomez also race-walked during his high school days at Vancouver College.
“I was fortunate enough to be quite natural at the event. I began doing the event when I participated in the BC High School Track and Field Provincial Championships,” says Gomez. “I went on to win two gold and one silver in my last three years at Vancouver College, and I quickly realized that I could continue to develop and reach higher heights.”
Still, swimming was his main sport until he was 17, when a car accident forced him to stop.
“The accident was a minor one, but enough to get me out of the water,” said Gomez, who suffered whiplash and a neck injury in the collision. “I decided to pursue my walking career as I saw this as a great opportunity to represent Canada at this level.”
To further his development, Gomez joined the Racewalk West Club, headed up by Gerry Dragomir, and came to UBC.
“UBC served as a fundamental step to my development,” says Gomez. “Having already committed to attend UBC for my studies, I was happy to receive a call from track and field coach
Marek Jedrzejek, who offered a scholarship to represent the T-Birds.”
“Over my four years as a T-Bird, I was able to develop under the guidance of my personal coach, Gerry Dragomir, who assisted the UBC program with the walkers on the team.”
As a Thunderbird, Gomez won the NAIA outdoor race walk titles three years in a row for UBC (2008, 2009 and 2010). He also earned a silver medal in 2007.
He represented Canada at two Universiades (2009 and 2011) and finished fifth at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.
Gomez says those events, “…were a great experience to prepare me for London.”
He won the prestigious Bus Phillips Memorial Trophy in 2010 as UBC's top male athlete.
Gomez continued to travel the world after finishing his time with the Thunderbirds track and field program with the goal of qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
He won the Sydney Track Classic in Australia in February and then placed eighth at the IAAF Race Walk Challenge (March 30) in Taicang, China by clocking his personal best time of 1:21:05.
In the year leading up to June's Canadian Track and Field Trials in Calgary, Gomez met the Olympic A standard three times, so all he needed to do at the trials was finish in the top three. Gomez took second spot to officially claim his place on the Canadian Olympic team.
“I had a mixed feeling of excitement and relief, as I was now able to turn my focus on my final preparations without any concerns,” says Gomez.
In the lead-up to London, Gomez spent two and a half weeks in St. Moritz, Switzerland training at altitude.
He then went to Kamen, Germany for a distraction-free staging camp involving Canada's track and field Olympians. Gomez arrived in London on Wednesday and then had final tune up training sessions to get ready for tomorrow's race.
“Instead of attending the Opening Ceremony, we had a small ceremony at the Kamen town centre, and we followed that with team bonding of watching the ceremony on a big screen projector at the place we are at,” says Gomez, who will have a large cheering contingent for his Olympic debut.
His immediate family, including brother and fellow UBC graduate, Iker, is in London.
Gomez's girlfriend, Carmen Alvarez, the woman he calls his biggest supporter, is there too, along with other family members who have travelled from Mexico.
“Finally, I believe quite a few UBC Thunderbirds athletes have made the trip to London and will be lined up on The Mall cheering for me,” says Gomez.
He hopes to finish in the top 20 and gain enough experience and exposure to challenge for a medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Gomez doesn't view his late start in the sport as a disadvantage.
“I have made great progress in the last six years, and I believe that my swimming experience and development gave me a great insight into my athletic capabilities,” says Gomez.
“I am proud to have reached this level, and I am delighted to be representing Canada at the Olympics.”
Gomez is the only Canadian in the 20km race walk tomorrow.
“I've always had the support from UBC, but I think that my selection has allowed people to learn more about my unique sport,” says Gomez. “I hope that this attention will continue to raise the exposure of my event, and I am certain that people will learn to enjoy it as much as the marathon.”
After the Games in London, Gomez will turn his focus towards the 2016 Summer Olympics.
He will also try to squeeze in more schoolwork. Gomez will begin law school in September after graduating from UBC last year with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.
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