Expats

Jana from Lithuania studying  in Spain

Manuel: How young were you when you realized you wanted to do sports seriously?

Jana: I was 13 years old when I realized I wanted to do sports seriously because I realized that there would be open so many opportunities for me thanks to this activity.

Giulliana: This is my question for Jana: " I know you're an athlete, which means you've trained so hard for many years... but how could you possibly train that much without giving up or getting tired at some point? "

Jana: I’ve trained so hard for many years because I had been always motivated. In different periods of life the motivation was different- when I was younger, I just wanted to be faster than my father, because he was always telling me that he would only accept me as a serious sportswoman only when I run 100 meters faster than he runs. When I got older, I wanted to qualify to European championships because I wanted to be in national team so badly, I wanted to go to sport camps abroad to see the other countries. When I graduated from the school, I wanted to enter the university and to get the sports scholarships, so I also had to train hard for it. I used to give up for a couple of times but I was lucky to be surrounded by amazing people who didn’t let me give up. It was my stubborn coach, insisting parents and an inspiring friend.

Ericka: Have your parents been a support to you since you started an athletic life?

Jana: My parents have always been (and they are) a support to me since I started an athletic life. My mother has nothing common with sports but she has been always tolerant with my choices. My father always wanted me to do athletics because he is a former athlete himself.

Misi: A question for Jana: why did she go as expat to Spain?

Jana: I went to Spain as an expat for a couple of reasons. I am studying Tourism and Sport management, so first of all I wanted to do my internship somewhere out of my country, because I wanted to see how did the hostels’ infrastructure worked here, in Spain, especially in such touristic city as Barcelona. I wanted to do something practical for my future career because I couldn’t do it because of the sports- it was (and it is) always on my way. Actually, I had a huge conflict with my coach because he didn’t want to let me go for three months. It was the first steps of trying to quit professional sports. I also wanted to practice my English because I started forgetting it : ) The other reason is that I wanted to spend the summer in a different way, in a different atmosphere, meeting new people and trying to learn some Spanish. Well, I could write a long list of the reasons…

Andrea: My question for Jana is: How much time and how difficult was to adapt to a new culture and customs in Spain?

Jana: Adaptation to a new culture was not difficult for me at all. To tell the truth, I didn’t even have a so called cultural shock. I am a very flexible person to this point, so I don’t stress so much about missing home or having changed my life so cardinally. Though Spain and Spanish people are completely different from Lithuanians, the contrast is huge. The way of lifestyles, the way of communication and all the other fields are completely different. I am very interested in different cultures and before going to Spain I had learned some specific things about the culture just to know what kind of things can I expect there and what would I have to deal with. I was also very lucky to meet there a couple of people who had been living in Spain for a very long period of time. We became really good friends and thanks to them I made familiar with Spanish traditions, daily routine and reality from the inside.

Miguel Castillo: Have you ever gone to an Olympic game?

Jana: I have never gone to Olympic games, though the last 3 years I’ve been training hard for it. Only the best athletes go to the Olympics and I wasn’t strong enough. I guess I put not enough effort for having reached it (if I analyze the past 3 years, I can see now what I did wrong and in which fields I could have worked harder), I didn’t devote myself 100 % to sport or I wasn’t talented enough. I think I will go to the Olympics in 2014 or 2018 but only as a member of delegation if I work for Lithuanian athletic federation or just as a spectator. Rebeca: Jana why do you enjoy sports so much?

Jana: I enjoy sports so much because it helps me to feel better both physically and emotionally. After a good training I feel that I took a good rest- my mind is clear and my mood gets better (oh, those endorphins), though my body is exhausted, which feels good. No, I am not a flagellant, it’s a condition which can be understood only by sportsmen. I enjoy sports so much because I like the taste of the victory, which is the best feeling ever, this euphoria can’t be compared even with the feeling when you are in love with somebody. Yes, this euphoria lasts only for a couple of minutes, maybe for half an hour after the victory but it worth training for years for this short period of complete happiness.

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Jana (September 9, 2013):

How often do you use English in your daily life (out of classes) and what is the most difficult part for you in learning the language? (etc. grammar, listening…)