BOTELLO Natalia

Personal Information

Residence Tijuana, MEX

Occupation Athlete

Languages Spanish

License number 08062002000

Club

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Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She began fencing in 2013 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Why this sport? She was spotted by a scout while she was at school. "I was a ballet dancer at the time. I did not know what fencing was but [the scout] told me that I had to go to the High Performance Centre in Tijuana [Mexico] to do a test. I did it and I stayed." She did not like training at first, due to how vocal her coach was. "I was not used to someone yelling at me like that, so I asked my mother to remove me from the programme, because I wanted to try racquetball." However, she stayed and continued working with her coach, Alain Tandron.

Club / Team Baja California State: Mexico

Name of coach Alain Tandron, MEX, from 2013

Training Regime She trains for six hours a day, five days a week, at the High Performance Centre [CAR] in Tijuana, Mexico.

Handedness Left

General Interest

Hobbies Music, ballet. (esto.com.mx, 17 Mar 2018)

Memorable sporting achievement Winning gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. (olimpicos.marcaclaro.com, 11 Oct 2018)

Hero / Idol Mexican fencers Tania Arrayales and Julieta Toledo. (olimpicos.marcaclaro.com, 11 Oct 2018)

Sporting philosophy / motto "I feel good that people recognise me on the street. I want to be a good role model for the youth. To show them that everything can be done, inspire them to be better than me, and to have high expectations." (olimpicos.marcaclaro.com, 11 Oct 2018)

Awards and honours In 2017 and 2020 she received the State Sports Award in Baja California, Mexico. (elimparcial.com, 13 Nov 2020)

She received the 2018 Sports Award of the municipality of Tijuana, Mexico. (tijuanainformativo.info, 28 Nov 2018)

She was Mexico's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (olimpicos.marcaclaro.com, 11 Oct 2018)

In 2017 she was named Best Fencer of the Americas by the International Sports Press Association [AIPS] America. (aztecadeportes.com, 31 Dec 2017)

She received the Mexican National Sports Award as the Best Non-Professional Athlete in 2017. (jornada.com.mx, 23 Apr 2018; excelsior.com.mx, 04 Apr 2018)

In 2017 she was named Athlete of the Year by the Circle of Sports Journalists of Tijuana, Mexico. (aipsmedia.com, 17 Jan 2018)

Ambitions To win a medal at the Olympic Games. (marca.com, 11 Apr 2017)

Other information FROM THE UNITED STATES TO MEXICO
She was born in San Diego, CA, United States of America, but grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. "I feel very proud of being from Tijuana. I like living here in general. I grew up here and I like the people." (tijuanainnovadora.com, 12 Jun 2018)