Karen, Sonnia, Juliana y Grabriela / 261 Coaches Ecuador
Normally I don’t do this any more, because other members of the team have taken over this task. I am referring to our 261 TtT (Train the Trainer). There we train women to lead groups of female runners in their respective countries. It’s not about getting faster or training for specific goals. It’s about healthy exercise with fun and enjoyment. Here you can find all the information about our project.
As you know, Spanish is spoken in Ecuador. Until now, our programme has been offered in English and German, not in Spanish. So I spent the last few weeks translating all the work into Spanish. Admittedly, my head was spinning, because although I am Chilean by birth, I have hardly written, read or even spoken Spanish in the last fifty years. A big challenge for me: I must really love my work.
In the team we have Christina. She speaks several languages fluently, including Spanish. Originally, it was planned that she would give most of the lectures in Ecuador. But, as it happens in life, Christina preferred to become a happy mother-to-be. Under these beautiful circumstances, she was not allowed to fly to Ecuador. Therefore, I had no choice but to take over the training. First of all, I would like to admit that I had no regrets. It was a wonderful experience that I would not want to miss.
It is nice to feel how different and at the same time how equal people are in different cultures. It is nice to experience how warm and grateful women are who may not have it as easy as we are used to here. It is important to understand that they have values that correspond to ours and it is exciting to see how self-confident they are. I had almost forgotten what it means to experience warm hospitality. The Ecuadorian women reminded me of that. What I am left with is the deepest respect and sense of warmth after these days. I urge myself and others to perceive all people in this world as equals. They are neither better nor worse because they live in other countries and cultures. Dear Sonnia, Juliana, Karen and Gabriela, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I assure you that I have learned a lot from you. I hope to see you again soon.
