Martín Vidaurre: Inspiring Chilean Athletes to Aim Higher
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Loading... - Aziza Hamdy
- 02 Aug 2024
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For Martín Vidaurre, competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is about more than just winning a medal for himself. Hailing from Chile, one of the 14 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to compete in the inaugural Games in Athens in 1896, he is looking forward to the opportunity to show both his fellow compatriots – and the world – what Chileans can do in sport.
In many aspects, Vidaurre sees himself as the exception rather than the rule in Chile. His father, Cristobal, is a former Pan-American mountain bike cross-country champion and quickly passed on the love for the sport to his son.
“My whole family grew up doing sport, and my father was the one who introduced me to mountain biking,” Vidaurre says. “I already had the motivation and wanted to become a good rider, but if you don't have the support, the family or the contacts, you cannot do it. If it wasn’t for my family, it could not have happened.”
A talented cyclist growing up, in 2021 he won a breakthrough gold medal at the Under-23 World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. “The Under-23 title was like, ‘I can really do this’,” Vidaurre reveals. “It took me a lot to get where I am, so when I achieved that it opened my mind but also gave me more confidence.”
However, even with his success and unique background, Vidaurre has still experienced many challenges in mountain biking, which remains a fledgling sport in his country, with not much backing available for athletes. That’s where Olympic Solidarity has made a difference. Since 2022, Vidaurre has received a scholarship from Olympic Solidarity which has provided him with the crucial support and finance needed to put himself in the best possible position to achieve his goals at Paris 2024. “Being an athlete is a 24-hour job,” Vidaurre explains. “You need to think about eating the best way, sleeping the best way, travelling the best way. It’s the details that count, and the only way to do that is by spending a little bit more money.”
Olympic Solidarity’s financial support has also opened the door to a much more significant change in Vidaurre’s everyday life. He moved to Andorra to ensure he could be closer to all the major races on the mountain biking circuit, which tend to take place in Europe.
“All the racing is in Europe, so travelling back and forth is hard,” Vidaurre says. “You lose time, and travel is expensive. You cannot do it every month so, for me, it's easier to train there [in Andorra]. I'm also just trying to find the balance. It's a big investment in my career and what I can maybe achieve in the future. You need to have that confidence that you are not wasting your time or your life, because leaving takes money.”
With Paris 2024 fast approaching, Vidaurre is looking to reap the rewards for his hard work and the tough decision he took to leave home. His objectives have never changed, though, with maximizing his potential and growing the sport in Chile never far from his thoughts.
“I just want to prove I have the level and can race at the maximum consistently, not just have one good race. I want to keep going because I think I can still improve, and my level can be way higher,” he says. “A big goal for me will be bringing some races back to South America. We are racing more in Brazil now, so maybe in the future we can race in Chile.”
A total of 1,319 athletes from 159 NOCs, covering 26 sports, received Olympic Solidarity scholarships for Paris 2024. Olympic Solidarity aims to ensure that talented athletes of all backgrounds have an equal chance of reaching and succeeding in the Olympic arena by providing crucial funding to help finance their Olympic dreams. With a particular focus on athletes and NOCs most in need, individual Olympic Solidarity scholarships provide athletes with financial support through monthly grants that contribute to their preparation and qualification for the Games, whether in their home country or at a high-level training centre elsewhere.
Martín Vidaurre’s journey from Chile to the global stage of the Olympic Games is a testament to the power of dedication, family support, and the significant impact of targeted financial assistance. As he prepares for Paris 2024, he not only aims for personal success but also hopes to inspire a new generation of Chilean athletes to aim higher and achieve their dreams.
