To speak of Janeth Gomez Valdivia is to speak of strength in all senses of the word. The weight-lifting champion is 28 years old and has managed to put Mexico's name in the highest echelons with her participation in the 2024 Olympic Games, where she qualified in the top 10 in the 59 KG category. Before that, Gomez had won gold and silver medals in competitions all over the world.
"I feel very happy and fulfilled because all of the hard work was worth it. We need to continue to prepare ourselves. As an athlete, you sacrifice a lot, and these medals are the reward."
Born in San Miguel del Alto in Jalisco, Gomez moved to Guadalajara when she was 11 years old to start working on her development as an athlete. This decision was a difficult one, one that she reconsidered later on.
"I said to myself, 'What am I doing here?' I wanted to go back home," she said in an interview with the University of Guadalajara.
As she worked on her career as an athlete, Gomez had the support of her trainer, Miriam Guadalupe Valadez Flores, who guided her through all of the ups and downs. "She was very insistent in wanting to train. She was very explosive and technical and has a natural talent," said the trainer.
Gomez had to adapt to adverse circumstances to train. Following the birth of her daughter, she returned to her hometown and had to train in a secondary school. When this was no longer available, she had to make do.
"I would train during the day, on the street, right next to my house," she said. Gomez had few resources, making training all the more complicated. Raising her daughter also made matters more difficult. "Halfway through training, my daughter got hungry, so I had to stop training. That's when I told myself, 'You need to be more organized. You need to divide into the parts that you want to achieve to get to where you want to be."
"Like any athlete, the first thing you want is to achieve the Olympic dream, make it happen, and then have the desire to achieve the Olympic medal. Whether you want it or not, when you know people who've achieved these things, that desire is born naturally."
In June 2023, Gomez participated in the weight-lifting grand prix hosted in La Habana, Cuba, where she nabbed two gold and one silver medal, granting her the title of world champ.
On August 8th, 2024, Gomez achieved her dreams in the Paris Olympics, becoming the eighth finalist in the world. While she didn't step on the podium, her achievement was significant. "I feel a sea of emotions even when I learned that I was going to be participating here in my first Olympic games," she said to the Associated Press. "This is all I dream of, all I worked for. The truth is that I'm grateful to God for giving me this chance."