Name: Vilmarie Acosta Pereira
Age: 20
Classification: Junior
Favorite food: Mexican
Hobbies: Fencing, going to the beach.
Major: Modern Languages
Vilmarie Acosta is someone who carries herself with confidence and poise, and that’s easy to see from the moment you get to know her. She is family driven, focused on her studies, and passionate about the sport she practices.
She started fencing when she was 10 years old. A natural born leader with a voice that travels strongly wherever she goes, she’s definitely someone who has been constructing a path to greater things.
As we spoke, my first questions were the basics and then I proceeded to ask her about herself, which made her laugh a little. It only took her a moment while she gathered her thoughts and then shared
Vilmarie: I consider myself responsible. I like leading groups and just leading in general. I dedicate time to the kids where I work and also fencing is something that makes me, me.
HCUPR: What about your experience in fencing? How has that been?
Vilmarie: “As an athlete I have had the chance to train hard and to compete. I’ve also had the chance to travel the world and get to know a lot of people and see a lot of new places.
HCUPR: And, how exactly did you get into fencing? It’s not a very popular sport.
Vilmarie: I’ve always liked sports. I tried the usual ones but didn’t succeed in any of them. When I tried for basketball, there wasn’t a female team and when I tried for volleyball, it just wasn’t for me. One day, my Mom suggested fencing and since then, it’s been the sport I dedicate a lot of my time to.
HCUPR: How are your feelings towards the sport? What do you like? What don’t you like?
Vilmarie: What I don’t like is the small areas of opportunities. In fencing, one learns best when put out in the world to share and learn from experience and other cultures, other people who do the same thing. One learns the techniques among other things.
HCUPR:What are you doing right now (in terms of the sport)?
Vilmarie: Well, right now we are one year away from the Olympics. Sadly I didn’t prepare for it since I didn’t go to the pre-Olympics. Right now, my focus lies on my studies and my job. I am thinking about training four years in Italy for the next Olympics, though. Also, I’m in the process of obtaining my fencing referee licence, making me the youngest person in Puerto Rico to get it.
HCUPR: What has been the highlight of your fencing career?
Vilmarie: The highlight would be the “Panamericano Juvenil” competition of 2013. I finished 9th for the medal, since I got eliminated. If I would have won, I would have been placed in the group that won medals.
HCUPR: Do you have any tips? In general and for fencing.
Vilmarie: In general, I would say that sports help give structure and compliment someone. When it comes to fencing, it is a sport that opens doors to diverse things, allows you to meet people and, in my case, being a Modern Languages major, it helps me expand my language horizons.
HCUPR: Anything else you would like to share?
Vilmarie: Well, I would like to say that some people speak about athletes but they don’t understand how difficult it is to be one. Most athletes have to work and study, but here they don’t have to. (Javier) Culson y (Monica) Puig do not work, and sometimes people point their fingers at their accomplishments, saying they could have done better. When the situation in Puerto Rico makes a 5th place medal feel like a 1st place because of the training and opportunities given here. It would feel much better if people could think about how hard we work, and praise us for — what may seem little to them — is a lot for us.
The last question was certainly one that inspired passion. Vilmarie has always been dedicated to her sport and though she plans to at least win a medal in the “Centroamericano” competition, she wishes to continue her fencing career as one of the top referees in the world for the Olympics. Perseverant and determined, Vilmarie Acosta surely is headed towards greatness.