Four-time Olympian Elías Calles now aiming to coach others to glory

Elías Calles sailed in the Europe class at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, and the Laser Radial class at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, achieving a career-best 10th-place finish at her final Games.

After retiring from competitive sailing, she became a coach, which she described as a "natural transition."

Currently, she is Head Coach for the Mexican Sailing Federation, and the director of Somos Me?xico, a high-performance sailing programme which supports the best athletes in Mexico towards Paris 2024.

Reflecting on her career so far, Elías Calles gave an insight into what her role as coach involves, and how the idea of helping athletes reach their goals inspires her every day.



"As an athlete, I went through a whole lot," she revealed.

"It was very challenging to sail the Laser Radial because I am very short. I had to deal with weight, and all the challenges that my country offers; not many team mates, and the difficulty with coaching.

"I had to spend a lot of time outside my home, but that built my character and got me to where I am today.

"Now, being a coach and a team manager, it's very different. I've been dealing with 'politics,' such as getting the budget to try to pave the way and make it a bit easier for the athletes to achieve their best results in the Olympic Games.

"Being a coach is something extraordinary. I think it's a huge challenge, because it's not only about trying to improve an athlete's technique - it goes beyond that.

"You go into the character, into the personality, and it's a fantastic experience as a human being to try to transform another human being into their best version.

"For me, the highlight in this role has been watching the athletes exceed their expectations in performance and results, and living the journey with them, teaching them about the process of becoming a high-performance athlete.

"There is no "cutting corners," there are no excuses, and there are a lot of things to go through to get to the top."

Ahead of our global women's sailing festival, Steering the Course, we're shining the light on some of our sport's most inspirational female athletes, like Tania.

To find out more about Steering the Course and how your country or sailing club can get involved, click here.