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Salinas.- 37 years have passed since Germán Rieckehoff Santiago’s dream of advocating for the development and training of Puerto Rican athletes came true, through the creation of an institution that promotes sports in all its dimensions.

It was through the founding of the Albergue Olímpico in 1986 that this visionary and advocate of Puerto Rico’s sports autonomy, made it easier to teach multiple disciplines free of charge to thousands of children and young people across the island.

Nestled in a 1,500-acre plot located in the “town of mojo isleño”, this monumental patriotic project has managed to overcome many challenges and maintain its mission of “building positive and educated minds in healthy bodies, with the ability to create new expectations in life.”

“Don Germán Rieckehoff’s dream was to provide the tools that young athletes who dream of reaching the Olympics need to develop, or at least learn the basic skills of the sports they’re interested in,” said Yaritza Díaz Figueroa, Director of Marketing and Technology.

Among the offerings of the Albergue Olímpico is the Escuela Especializada en Deportes del Albergue Olímpico Eugenio Guerra Cruz (ECEDAO), a specialized sports school “teaching disciplines such as fencing, basketball, middle-distance running, sprinting, triathlon, shooting, taekwondo, wrestling, throwing, judo, weightlifting, and boxing.”

This residential school’s services are free of charge for students from sixth to twelfth grade, and are offered in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Education, which is responsible for recruiting teachers for the academic curriculum.

“Tryouts are held on Wednesdays in February; the students’ skills are evaluated according to what they show. There is a sports rotation program for those students who are not excelling well in one sport, so they can try out other disciplines,” she explained.

Meanwhile, “for younger children, we have community programs: gymnastics, swimming, and wrestling, and we teach them starting from the age of four.”

“In 2020, we inaugurated the Academia Deportiva del Albergue Olímpico (ADAO), which runs parallel to the public school. It is private, but it is affordable for the community. It offers two disciplines that complement each other: baseball and men’s basketball,” she said.

“We also provide the community program, three days a week, starting at 5:00 p.m. But these are extracurricular (activities), so that they (students) can focus on their schoolwork; we also offer Saturday courses from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Currently we’re offering gymnastics and swimming,” she explained.

For athletes who are affiliated to federations under the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, access to the sports facilities is free of charge. These include the shooting range, archery, ball parks, athletic track, the gym, and others.

The Albergue Olímpico also offers a tour of its Olympic Museum, which features three rooms; one of these houses an exhibition celebrating 90 years of Puerto Rican Olympism.

“The exhibition is a glimpse at our athletes’ participation throughout the Olympic cycle. It’s a very beautiful, emotional exhibition. Former professional tennis player and 2016 Olympic champion, Mónica Puig, donated the clothing she wore when she won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro,” she said.

Another room is dedicated to the participation of Puerto Rican athletes in the Central American and Caribbean Games, and the Pan American Games.

In its recreational area, the institution features modern amusement parks that open during the summer, from May to August.

This is the Olimpia Water Park, one of Puerto Rico’s favorite water parks. It houses attractions like the Ola Marina, a wave pool, as well as water slides that promise a tidal wave’s worth of fun.

Meanwhile, Campo Chico “is an 18-hole mini golf game. There is also ‘Villa Enchumbá’, which has a water slide for racing called Jungla Chica. It’s for children’s races; it has four lanes and the first one to reach the bottom wins,” she said.

Other attractions are: Isla Chiquitines, ideal for young children, and Piedra Chiquita, which is a fascinating climbing area.

Moreover, the Albergue fosters a direct relationship with neighboring communities, and becomes a meeting point when disasters strike.

“We want to go further and take advantage of our facilities so that, in the event of a hurricane, they can serve as a collection center and shelter to better serve the surrounding communities. We are teaming up with the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, meteorologist Ada Monzón and the Red Cross to establish a command center here,” she revealed.

“The biggest contribution (of the Albergue) is to have this space available for high-performance athletes. Many athletes who have made it to the Olympics have been through here, and the athletes we produce fulfill the Albergue’s mission: they all become productive members of society,” she concluded.

For details visit albergueolimco.com or call 787-824-2200.