Charisma and intelligence define her personality; her talent shines through on two wheels. Saray Velásquez is a bit shy in interviews, but as soon as she gets on her bike, she lets loose, slowing only when she crosses the finish line first —turning every race into a treat for spectators.

This young woman proved just that when she swept the Vuelta a la Fría in Venezuela. Although her heart lies in music, nothing could stand in the way of her drive, dedication, and hard work as a cyclist.

Saray had never thought of cycling as her calling; her heart was in music, but someone convinced her to join the EIDE, and that’s where it all began. At first, she thought it would be easy. She stuck with it, kept going, and even though she later faced setbacks, something kept her on the road.

“I asked to quit twice. They told me everything had its time and that they saw great potential in me. At the time, I didn’t understand it, until my parents convinced me to continue. Then, little by little, I started to improve. First a little, then a bit more, until my efforts began to pay off,” she says.

She spent her first two years on the Camagüey team. In her first year, she competed in the School Games and was the only one to win a bronze medal. In her second year, with new goals in mind, she won gold and became the national road race champion.

Over time, she joined the Las Tunas team. Thanks to her dedication and consistent training, she helped the province win the national title at the School Games, and as the team’s standout athlete, Saray led the team.

“Then I moved to Havana. I was one of the youngest in my sport. In races, I always came in second, but then I heard about a youth trip to Venezuela for a race called La Fría. That really encouraged me. I joined the Havana team almost last, when everyone else was already training,” she tells us.

“In the first race, the time trial, I won silver. The course was super challenging. The next day I ran the route, and even though in Cuba it was always on flat ground, that course was different. It was as if I were used to running uphill, as if I hadn’t stopped training, as if I’d spent the whole year practicing,” says Saray.

She says that the last few months were filled with setbacks, illnesses, and falls, but if there’s one thing she knows, it’s never giving up. In Venezuela, she tasted glory with three podium finishes: runner-up in the mountain classification, runner-up in the time trial, and third in the sprint. And in the overall standings, she was runner-up in the mountain classification.

She says her effort was worth it, and although cycling wasn’t part of her plans, she continues to ride with the same dedication that brought her this far.